Too Close for Comfort
by baby-filly
Summary: KakaSaku, GenSaku friendship. When Genma and Sakura are assigned a mission, the last thing they expected was for Tsunade to interfere, and Genma to turn into an advice columnist. Please R&R, rated M for lemon.
1. Chapter 1

Too Close for Comfort

**Too Close for Comfort**

**A/N:**** Sorry if Genma acts a little OOC, but I think that under the chauvinism and arrogance is a sweet human being. Please R&R, and as I have stated in previous stories, you flame me, I flame you back. That's all. Have fun reading! KakaSaku. No lemon, but rated M for adult themes.**

**Chapter One**

"Genma?" The pink haired kunoichi glared at the senbon-chewing shinobi, who looked down at her lazily.

"Yes?"

"Get your arm from around my waist."

"Would you prefer it up or down?" Genma enquired, watching her flush deep crimson.

"I would _prefer_ it not at all."

"Simply creating a sibling-like illusion, sweetheart." He grinned. "Tsunade wouldn't be pleased if we wrecked our covers before we even got to the house, would she?"

"There is no one around for miles, numbskull." Sakura grumbled, but she didn't punch him, like she had been threatening to do for the last two miles of their journey. _Only three and a half miles to go._ The kunoichi thought to herself, before snapping to her full height when she heard a rustling in the trees behind them.

Genma, who had evidently heard the noise as well, threw a shuriken in the general direction of the disturbance, and Sakura felt sure she heard a sigh of annoyance from something – or some_one_ in the bushes.

"Just an animal." Genma said, and Sakura turned uneasily, wanting to believe him. They continued walking, and heard no more noises.

_My stupid imagination. __**Hey, I'm not stupid! **__Yes you are. __**Well I'm you, so you're calling yourself stupid.**__ That makes sense. Okay, you aren't stupid. __**I know. And, hey, you might want to answer Genma, he sounds a little worried.**_

Sakura blinked.

"Oh, back to Earth, Sakura?" Genma asked sarcastically.

"What did you say?" She asked, blushing at her slip-up.

"We're here." Genma wheeled Sakura around to face an imposing mansion, the place they would be staying for the next week or so. Sakura blinked at the grandeur of the place. That anyone would be able to afford living in such a house was a source of amazement for the young kunoichi, who lived in one of the most modest apartments in the whole of Konoha.

"Oh my…" She breathed, ignoring Genma's amused look at her reaction.

"So, are we going, or do you want to say staring at the place all day, sweetheart?" The senbon-chewer enquired. Sakura glared at the 'sweetheart' part of the seemingly innocent question. The idiot had been propositioning her ever since she turned sixteen, but he was pretty harmless, really.

"Come on." She said, like it was him gawping at the house like he'd never seen one before. He grinned, and followed her silently, knowing any more words would result in the mission being cancelled due to his injuries, something Tsunade would doubtlessly hold against him rather than her quick-tempered apprentice.

Sakura stared at the grand door, hardly knowing how to announce their presence at the mansion. Genma reached over her, some might say inappropriately, and used the door knocker.

"Handy things, these." Genma smirked, dodged an attempted smack around the head from the girl who, for the purpose of the upcoming mission, was to be his sister. _Wife would have suited me better, but hey, you can't have everything, I guess._ Genma thought to himself.

The imperious oak door swung open to reveal a hunchbacked servant, who introduced himself as Kinshõ Jiyuu.

"Hello, I am Kobayashi Hisaku, and this is Shikibu Idomu, my brother." Sakura was surprised she had remembered the names so well with Genma breathing down her neck annoyingly. The cover Tsunade had given them said that Sakura was married, but travelling with her brother, which explained the difference in surnames.

Jiyuu bowed politely, and murmured:

"If you would step this way, Lady Kobayashi, Shikibu-san." Sakura was about to laugh at the fact someone had called her 'Lady', but settled for glaring at an unwitting Genma instead. The servant led them along a lengthy corridor, and knocked on another grand door. Sakura felt overwhelmed once more at the grandeur of the property, and that feeling was only heightened when Jiyuu opened the door.

"Lady Kobayashi Hisaku and her brother Shikibu Idomu." Sakura took a glance at Genma, who was looking distinctly unimpressed at being ranked below her. She smiled slightly. He could be so sensitive sometimes.

"Good day, Lady Kobayashi, Shikibu-san." Their hostess, Lady Hoshi, a dark haired woman in a royal blue kimono stepped forwards, and Sakura immediately felt inferior in her plain white yukata, but she politely replied:

"Good day Lady Hoshi. It is kind of you to allow us to stay."

"Think nothing of it, Lady Kobayashi. Your husband is a ninja, no?"

"Yes, he is. Kobayashi Nijito. He is on a mission." Sakura and Lady Hoshi struck up a conversation, whilst Genma stood around, bored. Finally, Lady Hoshi looked across the room, and exclaimed:

"Of course, you must be introduced to my husband, Lord Hoshi!" Sakura and Genma looked at a chair in the corner, where a previously unnoticed man sat, smoking a pipe. He was evidently shadowed by his overbearing wife.

"How do you do." He said quietly, before paling back into insignificance when Lady Hoshi announced that lunch would be in half an hour, and Jiyuu, standing by the door dutifully, would show them to their room.

"Thank you, Lady Hoshi." Sakura said, before she and Genma were ushered from the room by Jiyuu.

"You are most welcome. We will send your suitcases up shortly." Lady Hoshi replied courteously. Sakura didn't have time to reply to that, as she was swept away by the impatient servant. They hurried along a corridor, and up four flights of marble stairs. Even Genma was impressed, but he was trying not to let on to an awestruck Sakura.

"Here you go, Lady Kobayashi. You and your brother are sharing this suite." Jiyuu explained to the pink haired kunoichi, barely acknowledging Genma. Sakura nodded, and thanked him.

"Goodbye, Jiyuu." She said pointedly, and the servant bowed.

"Goodbye, Lady Kobayashi, and please just ask if you need anything." He grinned. Genma put a hand on Sakura's shoulder to remind her killing the hostess' servant wasn't the best idea.

Sakura slammed the door closed instead, making it reverberate on its hinges. Genma shuddered. It wasn't a good idea to get on the wrong side of Sakura. She had always ignored his propositions, knowing they were jokingly made, but suggestive comments from almost total strangers was usually frowned upon by the quick-tempered kunoichi.

Slowly, Sakura turned to regard the room they had been given. Genma sensed a screaming tantrum threatening to erupt from the seemingly delicate cherry blossom beside him.

"It isn't _that_ bad." He said lamely.

"It is!" Sakura wailed back.

"Okay, it is." He conceded.

"Do they think because we're siblings it's okay to give us one bed between us?" She howled relatively quietly. Genma sighed.

"I'll sleep on the floor." This was a big sacrifice, considering the floor was marble like the stairs. This mission was going to hurt.

"Too right you will!" Sakura cried, obviously close to tears. "It's bad enough we have to share a room, without this…insult!"

"It'll be okay, Sakura." Genma wasn't really good with women's emotions, a possible reason for his notorious phobia of commitment. He couldn't think of much to say that wouldn't get him kicked in a painful place.

"You can say that, you're a man, you idiot! You don't care, do you? I bet you're pleased we got this mission, aren't you?" Genma tried his best to look unpleased, supportive, understanding and manly at the same time. Sakura just looked unimpressed. She went to answer a knock on the door, missing Genma's sudden look of intense concentration.

"Thank you for bringing them." Sakura turned to Genma again. "Suitcases – what are you doing?" Genma's senbon was in his hand, and he was looking out of the window suspiciously.

"Oh, oh, nothing, don't worry." He turned back to face her.

"We have twenty minutes to kill. What are we going to do?" She looked at the senbon chewing shinobi as if he was going to have any constructive ideas. He frowned.

"We could ask your sensei to join us for a cup of tea." He said. Sakura stared at him as though he were crazy.

"Wha-" She began, but broke off as a masked man casually opened the French windows and walked into the room.

"I was wondering when you were going to ask me in. It's freezing out there."

**So! First chapter. Please review; tell me what you think, where I could improve, what, if anything, you think is good about it.**

**Thanks to Shikari The welsh ninja, as always, and to all my friends off Fanfiction who are so kind to me, and give me hope that I might one day succeed in becoming an author. Yes, that means you Shikamaru, Naruto, Anko and Iruka.**

**(All my friends and teachers were named by me and Shikari as Naruto characters their personalities suit).**

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own Naruto or any of the characters, but I do own the idea for this fanfiction, so there we are. On to the second chapter (gallops away on her metaphorical pony)! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Too Close for Comfort**

**A/N: ****Second chapter. I'm publishing it straight after I get chapter one up, because I'm writing most of it at once, so no point waiting. Please review, if you didn't on chapter one. Reviews make my entire day! No flames please, I'll just flame back. Rated M for adult themes, but no lemon.**

**Disclaimer:**** See chapter one. I don't own Naruto, unfortunately. Now you can get on with the rest of the story… Hope you enjoy!**

**Chapter Two**

"Kakashi-sensei, you nearly gave me a heart attack! What are you doing here?" Sakura asked, genuinely clueless.

"Just a little job for Tsunade-sama." Kakashi replied easily, glanced at Genma, who thought he had an inkling of just what Kakashi had been assigned to do by the Hokage.

"Oh Kami. She thinks so little of me, she sends you to spy on me?" Genma wailed dramatically. Sakura blinked.

"Oh, I see." She said slowly. "Shishou thinks so little of my strength she sends you to protect me from someone that wouldn't dare to take advantage of me despite all his propositions?" Kakashi sighed. Tsunade was going to have a lot of opposition once this mission was over.

"The Hokage was only acting…"

"…With my best interests at heart. Yeah, she says that _every_ time. I can handle myself!"

"Yes, I know that." Kakashi tried to placate the hot-tempered kunoichi from exploded and running all the way back to Konoha to confront her shishou. "I wasn't planning on sticking around. I have better things to do, and I know Genma well enough to understand he is terrified of you." Genma's face went rapidly scarlet.

"I am not!"

"Hmm…" Sakura smirked at him, and Kakashi breathed out, aware a major catastrophe had just been avoided. Genma made an annoyed huff, and Sakura started telling him he was acting like a small child deprived of some sweets. Kakashi shook his head.

"So who are you going to be, sensei?" Sakura asked suddenly.

"What is this, a party game?" Genma asked.

"No, numbskull, it is an A-ranked mission that requires a cover name lest any dangerous ninja who come along, and realise Kakashi-sensei is the Copy-nin, try to kill him." Sakura retorted.

"Genma, don't say what you're going to say, please."

"Kakashi, what other option is there? You can do that or get stuck hiding around for the entire mission."

"What are you two going on about?" Sakura asked, once again baffled by the two shinobi who seemed to understand so much more than her.

"Oh, fine. I'll be Kobayashi Nijito. But don't blame me when this comes crashing down around our ears, Shiranui."

"I won't, Hatake." Kakashi and Genma glared at each other mutinously.

"Oh Kami, no way is Kakashi-sensei going to be my husband!" Sakura shrieked, finally realising the significance of Kakashi's cover name.

"Sorry, sweetheart, but this is an A-ranked mission. Kakashi-sensei is now officially your husband." Genma smirked at Sakura's scarlet cheeks. He got a whack around the back of his head for his troubles, and sighed. Keeping Sakura happy was a hard job indeed.

"Argh, you are one of the most annoying people in existence!" Sakura yelled. "Okay, just for the sake of the mission. Kakashi-sensei." She added pointedly, reminding both men she wasn't too pleased.

There was a knock at the door, and Sakura pushed a surprised Kakashi into the bathroom, and went over to the door.

"Hello? Oh, Jiyuu, it's you." Genma noted she sounded a little strained.

"Hello, Lady Kobayashi, just a message from Lady Hoshi to say luncheon is in ten minutes."

"Thank you, Jiyuu." Sakura slammed the door in his leering face, and turned to Genma with that famous homicidal look on her seemingly innocent face. Genma shuddered involuntarily.

"Kakashi-sensei, you can come out now." Sakura said, as though it had been Kakashi's idea to hide in the bathroom. The poor Copy-nin stepped out of the bathroom, rubbing the arm his old student had grabbed roughly to throw him into the bathroom with minimal force, which had still resulted in him almost toppling headfirst into the bath.

"How do you put up with her?" Genma asked, getting a punch from the feisty kunoichi for his cheek.

"Sakura-chan is very useful." Kakashi merely said, earning himself a smack to the back of the neck from an irate 'Sakura-chan'.

"I am _not_ put up with by you just because I'm 'very useful', you ungrateful pig!" She screamed. Kakashi put a hand up to the ear she had just screeched down. First his arm, now his ear. He didn't want to think of what other parts of his body she could maim. Genma grinned, glad to not be on the receiving end of Sakura's wrath for once.

"Well why _do_ I put up with you then?" Kakashi risked asking.

"Because I'm kind, virtuous," Genma snorted. "And care for my teammates deeply, for some unfathomable reason, maybe?" Sakura finished.

"Oh, right. And I was meant to recite all that."

"You're a genius, Kakashi-sensei! You should at least remember one of them." Sakura huffed.

"Sakura?"

"What?" Sakura turned to regard Genma.

"We have two minutes and fourteen seconds to find the dining room for lunch. We'd best be going. See you, Hatake."

"See you, Shiranui." Kakashi settled on the bed as if he owned the entire suite, and had done for numerous years. Sakura and Genma headed out of the room and down the corridor, Genma dodging Sakura punches. Kakashi wondered briefly what the senbon-chewing shinobi had done now, but then turned his mind to the _Icha Icha_ book he had brought along for the duration of the mission.

He had a feeling both he and Genma would be in for a long, painful mission ahead of them.

**Okay, it's very short, sorry, but there's a longer one coming up next time, promise.**

**Thanks for reading! Chapter three coming soon.**


	3. Chapter 3

Too Close for Comfort

**Too Close for Comfort**

**A/N:**** Thanks to the people who've taken the time to review 'Too Close for Comfort'! Virtual cookies for everyone… Anyway, chapter three, now. Please enjoy, don't flame, I'll just flame back. Rated M for adult themes. No lemon.**

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own Naruto, but the idea for this fanfiction is my own. There, now you can read the story…**

**Chapter Three **

"What are we going to do about Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura whispered to her 'brother', who shrugged.

"I thought you were the smart one, sis." Sakura glared at him, and then smiled at Lady Hoshi, who had insisted her guests must sit directly opposite her, making it extremely difficult for Genma and Sakura to converse. Lord Hoshi sat in his silent way, completely unnoticed by his own wife.

"Do you find the food acceptable?" Lady Hoshi enquired.

"Yes, it's…delicious." Sakura chewed hard. Ramen was better than this stuff! A quick glance in Genma's direction told her he probably felt the same.

"I'm pleased you enjoy it." Lady Hoshi smiled graciously, oblivious to the disgust on Sakura and Genma's faces. The lunch dragged on, and Sakura wondered about how much time they were wasting.

Half an hour later, they were permitted to leave; assuring their hostess the meal had been magnificent. Sakura waited until they were half way up the staircase before gagging.

"What _was_ that?" She asked. Genma coughed once or twice, before replying:

"I have no idea." The two shinobi carried on up the stairs, pondering what their meal could have been. They were not too pleased when they walked into their suite to see Kakashi heating water for instant ramen. Sakura growled, and Kakashi turned nonchalantly.

"I take it lunch wasn't a great success." He said mildly.

"Understatement of the century!" Sakura wailed. "We don't even know what it was." Genma simply nodded.

"You're welcome to share this." Kakashi said. Both the shinobi in front of him began thanking him profusely, and Sakura asked:

"Where did you get that ramen from anyway?"

"Naruto thought I might need it." Kakashi explained.

"That baka." Sakura shook her head in despair. "But I never thought I'd be glad of Naruto's ramen." Kakashi dished out the ramen with the expertise of Ayame.

"I took lessons from her when she had a crush on me." Kakashi said, in answer to Genma's raised eyebrows. "She offered to teach me how to pay, as well, but I declined that lesson."

Sakura's snort sounded suspiciously like: "You would!" But Kakashi made no comment.

"So," Kakashi finally said, watching with some amusement at the force with which Sakura was cramming cheap noodles into her mouth. "I was thinking about how I am going to convince Lady Hoshi that I am Kobayashi Nijito." Sakura stopped shovelling ramen down her throat.

"We were wondering that too." Genma commented, looking at the kunoichi beside him, who was slowly turning an interesting shade of purple. "Um, Sakura, are you okay? Anyway," He paused to readjust his senbon, "I thought maybe you could knock on the door, say Tsunade told you your wife is here - " He paused to pat Sakura on the back. She smacked him round the back of his head, but managed to swallow the ramen she had been choking on. "- and you would like to ask if you could possibly impose on their hospitality and stay."

"You told me you couldn't think of anything!" Sakura protested.

"No, I said you were supposed to be the smart one, not that I didn't have an idea." Genma corrected her.

"I hate you sometimes, Genma."

"What about the rest of the time?"

"I hate you _all_ of the time, then!"

"Interesting as the relationship between you two is - " Kakashi began, only for Sakura to hiss: "What relationship?". He chose to ignore her, and carried on. " – Interesting as it is, I think we should get our plan into action, rather than bickering all day." Genma saw Sakura go a little red.

"Come on, then." The senbon-chewer said briskly. "You go, take this suitcase to look authentic, act like you haven't got anywhere else to go."

"Since when have you been able to lead a mission, Shiranui?"

"Since when have you been able to take orders, Hatake?"

"And you say _I_ bicker." Sakura teased the two shinobi, who promptly shut up, still glaring. "Right. What are we waiting for?" Kakashi disappeared in a cloud of dark smoke, clutching a suitcase. Sakura flopped back onto the bed he had just vacated with a sigh. "Why are the men so hard to work with?"

"Why are the women so hard to work with?" Genma pondered, and only just dodged the pillow Sakura threw at him. "Jeez, you're turning into Tsunade. Only the alcoholism and the – okay, okay, I'll shut up."

"I wonder how Kakashi-sensei's getting on." Sakura said, about two minutes later, after sulking in silence.

"Give him a chance to knock on the door, sweetheart."

"Don't call me that."

"Call you what, sweetheart?"

"Sweetheart, you moron!" Sakura yelled.

"Okay, sweetheart, I won't." Genma made it sound like he'd simply forgotten. Sakura growled dangerously, and Genma decided to be quiet before she snapped. He had a feeling she might refuse to repair any injuries she inflicted upon him.

There was a knocking on the door, which distracted them both. Sakura went to answer it.

"Hello? Oh, Jiyuu, you've brought – Nijito!" She was an extremely good actress, Genma thought, watching her throw her arms around a bemused Kakashi, who, to his credit, didn't push her away, thereby ruining the cover, but patted her on the head a little awkwardly. Thankfully, Jiyuu didn't seem to notice the Copy-nin was a little hesitant.

"It's so good to see you after all this time, Nijito, you must come in -" Here, she dragged him into the small room. Kakashi stumbled forwards, and, rather like the bathroom incident, only just stopped himself falling face first onto the bed. Genma smirked. "Thank you for bringing him, Jiyuu!" Sakura added to the servant. "Say thank you to Lady Hoshi for me, won't you? Bye!" She closed the door. "Well?" Kakashi rubbed the shoulder she had almost dislocated.

"They accepted the story, thank Kami. So now, whatshisname is bringing up a campbed for Genma here."

"So kind. Like it was okay for us to share a bed anyway! We're meant to be siblings! I mean, who does that?" Kakashi agreed with the pink haired kunoichi that it was indeed extremely unfair, and disappeared behind his _Icha Icha_ book, pretending he hadn't heard the snort which sounded very like: "Shameless!"

"Can't that Jiyuu just leave us alone for five minutes?" Genma complained as there was yet another knock on the door. "Coming!"

"Where would you like the campbed?" Jiyuu asked, bowing in the direction of Kakashi, then frowning slightly when he saw the title of the battered orange book the sharingan warrior was holding. Sakura stepped smartly in front of her 'husband', and said:

"Over there." She pointed into a corner. "Just leave it, we'll sort it out." Jiyuu nodded, and set down the bed before retreating hastily from what he clearly thought to be a lunatic's convention. Sakura was beginning to wonder if maybe he wasn't too far off the mark when Genma walked over to Kakashi and began reading over his shoulder. _Men! They have one-track minds!_ Sakura sighed, and announced she was going to take a shower.

She couldn't be quite sure, but she had a feeling Genma was trying to persuade Kakashi to use his eye to spy on her. That shower wasn't feeling quite so appealing now.

**Thanks for reading. Please review if you have the time ******

**Chapter four coming soon!**


	4. Chapter 4

Too Close for Comfort

**Too Close for Comfort**

**A/N:**** Sorry for the delay in updating, my family and I just moved house, and my dad has finally got the computer up and running. Thanks to everyone who's reviewed and added to their story alerts. Special thanks to omi-hime-san, who gave me an idea that I'm now going to use **

**Okay, this fic is rated M for adult themes. No lemon. Please don't flame, I will only flame back.**

**Disclaimer:**** Just to be on the safe side, I don't own Naruto or any of the characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto. There we go, fourth chapter coming right up.**

**Chapter Four**

"Floor, Genma."

"But I -"

"I don't care. You are sleeping on the floor like Kakashi-sensei. Got it?" Sakura glowered, hands on her hips. Kakashi wondered if the arrogant senbon-chewer just enjoyed annoying the young kunoichi.

"Got it." Genma said sullenly, like a reprimanded toddler. Sakura smiled. "Only, there isn't too much room on the floor – okay, I'll just put up with it." Sakura smiled once more, and replaced the shuriken she had withdrawn from the holster attached to her leg.

Sakura produced a pink book from her suitcase.

"These jutsu scrolls just get weirder." Genma muttered, and received a snort from Sakura.

"It is a _diary_, dimwit." Genma perked up. Kakashi knew what was going through his friend's mind, and had a feeling it wouldn't end well.

"Can I read?" Genma teased, knowing the answer. Kakashi shook his head and went back to _Icha Icha_, not particularly interested in Sakura's diary. It was doubtlessly rants about Sasuke, if she had kept it from a younger age, and the kunoichi's previous obsession had been sad enough to witness, let alone read about.

"No. It says, 'keep out on pain of death' for a reason. So don't get any ideas." Genma swallowed, and tried to act innocent. Genma and innocent really didn't mix, Kakashi mused.

"Ideas? I don't know what you mean, Sakura-chan."

"You don't fool me, Shiranui." Sakura sniffed, before hunting around in her suitcase, bringing out a biro. She started scribbling furiously in the little diary. Genma watched her teasingly. Kakashi stared at his book, but he wasn't really concentrating. Why read when he could be staring spellbound at the kunoichi's fast-moving hand? He wondered what she was writing. Maybe about what bad company he and Genma were. It was likely.

After about twenty minutes or so, Sakura put the little book under her pillow, not exactly trusting Genma. She switched her light off, and the room was plunged into twilight. It wasn't that late, approaching ten o' clock, but the mission was being started properly tomorrow, and Sakura had insisted they all go to bed early. Genma had protested, but Kakashi had saved his breath.

The two shinobi who were supposed to be on the mission had briefed him: they were to find an old brooch that Lord Hoshi had bought for his wife, not knowing it had been stolen from the daimyo of the land hidden in the mist. The client wanted it back, but when he had contacted Lord Hoshi and told him of the problem, the lord had gone into a decline, screaming about his wife and what she would do if she found out.

The client had resorted to employing shinobi from Konoha to stay with the Hoshi couple, and get the brooch back. Tsunade had given Genma and Sakura the mission, and sent Kakashi along to keep an eye on proceedings. Privately, Kakashi thought she had sent him to keep Sakura from seriously injuring Genma, but he had wisely refrained from giving his opinion.

Kakashi put away _Icha Icha_, and sighed. Who knew what surprises tomorrow would bring?

THE NEXT MORNING

"Come with me, Sensei, and we can explore the building." Sakura glanced at Genma, chewing impassively on his senbon. "You can make plans here." Genma nodded. Kakashi wondered if his friend had finally decided it was easier to just agree without question or comment.

"Yes, boss." Kakashi shook his head as Genma proved it was not in his genes to remember life lessons. Kakashi waited patiently until Sakura had finished beating Genma around the head with her fists.

"You have a good time." Genma remarked sourly, rubbing his pounded skull.

"We will." Sakura assured him. "See you later." And with that, she flounced out, pulling Kakashi along with her.

Genma sank back onto the bed. She was hot; no doubt about that, but that temper was enough to make any man run for the hills. But they didn't, basically because Sakura exuded a sort of endearing innocence which, combined with her looks, made her an irresistible catch. Kakashi had to be the only man who could read _Icha Icha_ and not be visibly affected by the girl.

"Ow!" Genma exclaimed out loud, as something dug into his back. He reached under the pillow, and brought out…Sakura's diary.

_No. I can't read it. She'll kill me. _Contrary to popular opinion, Genma did have a conscience. It just didn't bother him all that often. And it usually lost to his twisted reasoning. _There'll be things in there that I don't need to read about. It's safer if I don't…_

So Shiranui Genma, full of good (ish) intentions, reached over to put the diary on a table. But fate was against his conscience that day. The diary fell open, and Genma couldn't help but notice that the handwriting on the page was a lot more scrawled than he remembered her usual writing. He wondered what had distressed her, and decided as he was probably going to burn in Hell anyway, he might as well find out more about the workings of her mind.

"_2__nd__ November – I had to go to Ichiraku today to find Sasuke for Tsunade-shishou. Kakashi-sensei was there, and I talked to him for a minute or so. I realised I'd almost forgotten about Sasuke-kun._"Genma flipped the page.

"_18__th__ December – I had a weird dream today. We (Team 7) were in the forest, and suddenly Naruto and Sasuke disappeared, and it was just me and Kakashi-sensei. Then I woke up. I don't know what that dream meant. I'm okay, though. It wasn't like it was a nightmare, but I just can't forget it._

"_We had a training session today. We still train, even though Kakashi-sensei isn't our sensei anymore. It was fun. I beat Naruto-baka! Cha!_" Genma couldn't help but chuckle at that.

"_27__th__ February -_" Genma noted she only seemed to write in her diary when something important to her happened. This was the scribbled entry that the diary had fallen open on. "_- Oh Kami-sama, what do I do? I have to be going crazy. I had this dream – the same one as I had in December – but this time, I didn't wake up when Naruto and Sasuke disappeared, and…well, I can't describe it. But the thing that scares me the most about this is that I don't consider it a nightmare. Oh Kami, I can't – I won't – let myself have a crush on my sensei!_"

"It isn't easy to stop a crush, Sakura." He muttered to himself. She should know she couldn't control her feelings like that! She had gone after Sasuke for years, before realising she deserved better. He looked to the last entry, the one she had written just last night.

"_7__th__ May – SHE'S DONE IT AGAIN! Tsunade-shishou just can't seem to accept that I can handle myself just fine." _Genma rubbed the back of his head, musing that Sakura could certainly handle herself. "_I felt so mad to think poor Kakashi -_" Genma noted the absence of the 'sensei' suffix. "_- was made to follow us both. I know Genma well enough to know that all he's capable of doing is being suggestive. He wouldn't dare go further. He's annoying, but he's not stupid._

"_But I can't say it was a bad thing Kakashi came. I'm glad of some relatively sane company. And – I don't want to admit it, even to myself, but lately…I've started to think of him differently. I thought it was a crush I could control, but it's more. I've fallen in love with Hatake Kakashi, and I can't do anything about it._"

**Ooh, a cliff-hanger! What will Genma do? Any ideas are appreciated, as I don't have a set plan yet…(yes, I am hinting that a review wouldn't go amiss )**


	5. Chapter 5

Genma dropped the book with a curse

**Too Close for Comfort**

**A/N:**** Chapter five already! Wow. Anyhow, I'd just like to say arigato to all my reviewers for their ideas. Ideas are always appreciated! And I just wanted to say that all violence in previous chapters from Sakura towards Kakashi was accidental on her part. The idea is, she doesn't realise her own strength sometimes. Sorry if I didn't make that clear enough **

**Disclaimer:**** If you haven't worked out I'm not Kishimoto-sensei yet, I don't think this disclaimer will help, but still.**

**Chapter Five**

Genma dropped the book with a curse. She was in love with Kakashi? The idiot who was virtually incapable of expressing emotions and read _Icha Icha_ constantly? The man who had taught her, who was fourteen years older than her? _She could have anyone. Why did it have to be him? It could have been Naruto, Sai, that weird Hyuuga guy with long hair; Hell, it could have been me! But she always was stubborn._

Genma picked the book up gingerly, and put it back roughly where he had got it from, hoping to Kami that Sakura wouldn't notice he had moved it.

He wasn't the most perceptive of people, but surely Sakura wasn't a good enough actress to mask her feelings completely. Maybe there had been signs that he just hadn't noticed.

"You didn't have to throw it out of the window, Sakura-chan. I would have done that myself." A familiar voice said. The door handle turned, and Genma leapt away from the bed.

"That's why you went and retrieved it, I suppose, Sensei?"

"Hey, I don't have anything else to read…"

"So you would rather read stupid books about two of your old students than go and strangle Jiraiya?"

"I told you, Jiraiya is an idiot, whom I will deal with when I go to report to Tsunade-sama tonight." Kakashi and Sakura entered, the pink haired kunoichi red with what Genma assumed to be either embarrassment or fury. Or perhaps both.

"Is it safe to ask?" He enquired, and Sakura blinked at him as if she would never consider being violent towards him.

"It's uh, a small matter of the Ero-sennin's indiscretion." Kakashi said. His visible eye flashed with what Genma thought looked a lot like anger. Genma had seen Kakashi angry before, and he had a feeling Jiraiya would be coming out of this badly.

"He actually put _you_ in one of his books?" Genma asked Sakura incredulously. Even Jiraiya couldn't be that stupid, surely. Everyone knew of Sakura's strength, and of her willingness to use it against people who annoyed her. Sakura nodded in reply to Genma's question, her lips set in a firm line. She looked ready to write herself a transportation jutsu, and disappear to wherever Jiraiya was so that she could murder him.

"I just don't believe you didn't notice the resemblance until I read some over your shoulder and pointed it out to you!" She said to Kakashi, who bowed his head. Genma thought he heard a suppressed snort of laughter from the Copy-nin.

"You shouldn't have read any of it." Genma smirked. "It's pretty hardcore."

"Oh, I should have guessed you'd read it!" Sakura huffed, then added: "And yes, I worked out exactly how hardcore it was after about two sentences." She turned to Kakashi. "How do you read that in public?"

"Easily." Came the Sharingan warrior's reply. Sakura shook her head, and sank onto the bed. She frowned, and Genma held his breath, but the kunoichi said nothing. "Well, I'm going to go report to Tsunade -"

"And speak to that calculating, evil -"

"Jiraiya isn't clever enough to be calculating." Kakashi said, "But yeah, I'll speak to him, don't you worry about that." Sakura nodded, appeased.

"See you, Kakashi-sensei."

"See you, Hatake." Genma didn't sound pleased Kakashi was leaving him alone with Sakura.

"See you both." And the Copy-nin was gone in a cloud of dark smoke. Genma coughed.

"_Genma-san._" Genma looked up at the emphasis on his name. "You said you'd been reading. _What_, precisely, were you reading?" Genma grimaced. He was as good as dead. He might as well go start digging his grave.

"Look, I wasn't going to, honestly, it just sort of opened -"

"IT'S MY _DIARY_!"__Sakura yelled at him. "And I suppose you read everything." She said bitterly. Genma felt very bad. He didn't know he was capable of regretting his actions, but he apparently was.

"I'm sorry, Sakura, I am, but…it's okay, you know. I won't tell him."

"And I should trust you? After what you did?"

"Yes, Sakura, because I mean it." Genma answered the cherry blossom, who suddenly started to cry. Genma didn't like crying females. He never knew how to comfort them.

"T-thanks, Genma." She whispered shakily. The senbon-chewing shinobi blinked. Had she just _thanked_ him?

"Um, sorry to sound thick, but what for?" Sakura looked at him.

"For not thinking badly of me."

"Why would I think badly of you?" He asked, puzzled.

"Well, he was my teacher. And he's so much older…" She trailed off to think of other reasons why Genma might not see her in a good light.

"This might sound a little personal, but…do you really love him?"

"Yes, I really do."

"Well then, there's nothing wrong. Right?" He asked. Sakura gave a wan smile.

"But he'll never like me back." Genma raised an eyebrow, knowing what made her think that way. Kakashi was a practical, genius of a fool who displayed his true emotions very rarely. He also read books, which most people would be embarrassed to read even in private, in public view.

"Oh, Sakura-chan. I'm sure everything'll be okay." He wasn't really convincing her, he knew, but what could he say? He put an arm around her shoulder, which she didn't shake off for once. She just sat there, tears rolling down her cheeks. The next thing he knew, she had flung her arms around his neck. He did something extremely un-Genma like. He ruffled her hair.

Kakashi entered the room at about eleven, a little weary after an encounter with a drunken Hokage, and a visit to the home of a certain Ero-sennin. Being the highly- trained shinobi he was, he only did a small double take at the sight of Sakura and Genma both asleep, leaning against the headboard of the bed, the male of the two with his arm around Sakura, whose face was streaked with tear tracks. A small battle ensued in Kakashi's head, and he eventually decided that he was hallucinating, and he should get a lot more sleep than he was at this current point in his life.

**A/N:**** Please tell me what you think about this chapter. Does puppy-dog eyes. The next one will be up shortly.**


	6. Chapter 6

Too Close for Comfort

**Too Close for Comfort**

**A/N:**** Hey everyone! Here's chapter six for you. Sorry it's a little late. Please read, and if you have time, review. Thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far **

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Naruto, and this story is not for the little ones. One or two occasions of reasonably strong language. **

_Flashback_

"_Ah, Kakashi. What can I do for you - um, why have you – put that kunai away, someone will get hurt -" Jiraiya dodged the kunai just before it skewered his head. "WHAT THE HELL?"_

"_I've just read your latest book, Ero-sennin." Kakashi said dangerously. Jiraiya's eyes widened. Kakashi almost never lost control like this. "And MY STUDENT read your latest book, before throwing it out of the nearest window, scaring the shit out of the nearest gardener, who also probably got a freaking good look at your latest book's contents!"_

"_You let Sakura read one of my books?" Jiraiya asked. Kakashi inhaled sharply. _

"_No, of course not. She read it over my shoulder, then pointed out the resemblance to her and that damned Uchiha."_

"'_That damned Uchiha?'" Jiraiya repeated, a small smile forming on his lips. Kakashi sighed._

"_Look, I'm not here to kill you, but I might in a moment." Jiraiya continued to smile, whilst Kakashi glared at him mutinously._

"_Have you finished my latest book, by any chance?" Jiraiya asked, and Kakashi looked amazed that the man could be so stupid as to believe he would want to continue reading about two of his ex-students in one of the most disgusting series of books known to ninja-kind. "I take that as a no. I suggest you do. You might find that my most recent work of art -" Kakashi snorted. "- is a whole lot better than you might believe at first glance."_

_Kakashi didn't bother to spend any more time in the company of the Ero-sennin, performing the necessary handsigns to disappear off to the Hokage tower. Jiraiya stood staring at the cloud of smoke left in the Copy-nin's place, a knowing smirk on his face that Kakashi never saw, which was probably a good thing, considering the Sharingan warrior's current mental state._

_End Flashback_

Kakashi sat up, Jiraiya's words ringing through his ears. Knowing Sakura wouldn't like it, but curious as to what the toad sannin had meant when he'd said the book got better. Did that mean Sasuke went firmly out of the picture, or did Sakura get someone worse?

_Only one way to find out._ Kakashi opened the _Icha Icha_ book, which had been residing in the pocket of his jonin vest, and flicked to the page he had been on when Sakura had ripped the thing out of his hands and flung it through the window. He tried to ignore the fact that this was about _Sakura_, and ploughed through the next ten or so pages with serious doubt of Jiraiya's sanity. The story (if it could be called that) only got worse.

He flipped the page, and saw to his delight that the character represented Sasuke was killed…by a mysterious, masked, older man who enjoyed hiding behind books. Kakashi's eyes narrowed. Jiraiya wouldn't do that to him, would he?

_Yes, of course he would, that arrogant bastard! Thinking he knows best!_ Kakashi continued to curse the Toad Sage under his breath, until a sleepy voice said:

"Kakashi-sensei? Who are you talking to?"

"What – nobody!" Kakashi hid the book, not wanting the repercussions of being caught with his formerly beloved _Icha Icha_. Kakashi looked up. Genma and Sakura were now both awake, and jumping away from one another as quickly as possible. _So I wasn't dreaming._ Kakashi thought to himself, then felt himself getting strangely angry. _What is going on with them?_

"What are we doing today?" Genma asked awkwardly. Kakashi looked at Sakura, the only one who had some vague idea of what they had to do to retrieve the brooch Lord Hoshi had bought.

"Uh, I thought Kakashi-sensei could go and search the East wing, and I'll search the West wing with you." Sakura outlined her plan. Both shinobi nodded, Kakashi with the odd feeling of exclusion weighing down on his shoulders.

Once they were ready, they locked the suite door, Genma and Sakura shooting furtive glances at one another. Kakashi stayed silent until Sakura wished him luck with his search.

"You too." He said tonelessly, and set off in the opposite direction to the senbon-chewing ninja and the unusually subdued kunoichi. The second he was out of earshot, Genma asked:

"Are you alright?" This was a stupid question. Sakura was evidently holding back yet more exhausted tears. Genma tried to think of something to say, and settled for:

"Shall I find out what he thinks?" Sakura's jade eyes locked on his brown ones, looking startled. Perhaps the idea had never even crossed her mind. Slowly, she nodded.

"Okay." She took a deep breath, as though mentally preparing herself. Genma found himself once more pondering the female mind. Here was a perfect example. Sakura was the fiercest kunoichi in Konoha, and yet she was verging on tears because of an emotionally-inept commitment-phobe (for once, he was not referring to himself).

"So where shall we start?" Genma asked. Sakura shook her head as though it had only just occurred to her that they were on a mission. She shrugged.

"Over there?" She gestured vaguely in the direction of a door. Genma nodded, and guided her to the door she had specified. They turned the handle, and were both surprised when the door just gave way and opened. Sakura stepped in tentatively, followed by Genma.

Inside the room were a few items of old furniture draped with white sheets. A quick preliminary search by Genma was enough to assure both shinobi that the brooch was unlikely to be in this room. It was more likely to be in a room that was regularly used by the Lord and Lady Hoshi. After all, Lord Hoshi would hardly have made a fuss about giving the brooch back if his wife had no interest in it.

The two ninjas left the room, and walked back up the corridor to try another door. The next room was a nursery.

"Disused. They don't have kids, and there are cobwebs everywhere." Genma noted. He and Sakura trooped out of the room, and headed for the next one, which they also declared unused.

"Is any of the West wing inhabited?" Sakura asked after traipsing through five more derelict rooms. Genma frowned, and consulted a rough map he had outlined the previous day.

"It should be. Some of it. About three or four rooms should be in use. We just have to find them."

"Only six left. How bad can our luck be?" Sakura tried to be optimistic. Her outlook failed. The three rooms they found with signs of recent human life were the last ones they searched, and none concealed the brooch, they decided after a brief but thorough search of each one.

"How about finding Hatake? It's almost lunchtime. We'll have to go and eat with her ladyship." Genma said the title with a certain contempt Sakura couldn't help smiling at. "What/" He asked, puzzled. Sakura shook her head.

"Nothing. Yeah, let's go find Kakashi-sen -" She broke off at a look from Genma. "Kakashi."

The two shinobi set off down the winding maze of corridors and staircases, in the general direction of the East wing they hoped Kakashi would be searching. Both ninjas, despite their skills, almost got lost eight times before turning into the corridor marking the East wing.

At the end, a door stood ajar. They heard Kakashi's voice mutter something, then Lady Hoshi responding in a sugary tone. Exchanging glances, the two shinobi went over to the conversing pair. As they got closer, they heard Lady Hoshi say:

"So _of course_ you must come to the ball, with your lovely wife and your…brother." Sakura turned to glance at a now scowling Genma, before knocking on the semi-open door. Lady Hoshi turned.

"Lady Kobayashi! How delightful! I was just inviting your husband and you…and Shikibu-san, of course, to the ball."

"The ball?" Sakura asked Lady Hoshi blankly.

"The annual dance. You simply must attend! You will, won't you?" Sakura chanced a look at Kakashi. She knew he hated all forms of social events, but this was for the sake of the mission. They might be able to procure the brooch.

"Of course, Lady Hoshi. We would be delighted to attend, wouldn't we, Nijito?" She willed her ex-sensei to comply. He did so, raising his eyes to meet Lady Hoshi's and smiling, not exactly genuinely, but politely enough. Genma also gave a forced smile, once the pink-haired kunoichi stood on his foot.

"Yes, it will be a _pleasure_." Kakashi replied through gritted teeth. Sakura sighed. She couldn't feel annoyed, but with every little thing he did, her heart broke just a little bit more. She blinked, determined not to break down in tears for no apparent reason in front of her friend, her hostess, and the man she loved.

Hatake Kakashi.

**Right. Now I have a dilemma. I know I have said there will be no lemon in this, but what do you think? Is the story okay as it is, or does it need a little more excitement in the form of smut?**

**Chapter seven coming soon! Sooner than Chapter six came, anyway.**


	7. Chapter 7

"We will just have to make sure we bang the bed loud enough against the wall for her not to hear you screaming then

**Too Close for Comfort**

**A/N:**** Chapter seven! Thanks to all my readers who reviewed in favour of lemon – I will be adding lemon to this story, so keep reading everyone. I've worked really hard on this chapter to make it longer (starting with the author's note, unfortunately), and I'm also working on a new fanfic too, so I'm a little busy. If you spot any blatant mistakes that I need to correct, just review and let me know. Sorry for the obvious scene breaks, but Microsoft Word and Fanfiction are working together to sabotage my real scene breaks.**

**As always, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and tell me what you think after you've read it if you have time.**

**One more thing: I don't own Naruto or the characters.**

**Chapter seven**

"Hey, Hatake."

"Yes? What, Shiranui?" Kakashi sounded a little testy, and Genma chewed on his senbon, wondering if now was the right time to broach the subject of Sakura.

After Genma had stood around foolishly for ten seconds, Kakashi repeated: "Yes? Are you going to tell me what you stopped me reading for?" Genma stared at the book Kakashi had taken to reading: _The Kunoichi and the Brave Shinobi_. It was one of Sakura's numerous romance novels, and not one of the best, judging from the look on Kakashi's visible sliver of face.

"Better than the crap you normally read?" Genma asked conversationally. Kakashi gave the eternal idiot a glare.

"_Icha Icha_ was once the best series of books known to mankind." Kakashi retorted hotly, defending his precious books to the end. Genma shook his head at his friend. Kakashi looked at him. "I'm guessing that's not what you wanted to talk to me about?" Genma shook his head again, more seriously this time.

"I was wondering about Sakura."

"Oh?" Kakashi scowled, and returned his gaze to the soppy book. Genma took a deep breath, and continued:

"What do you think of her?" Kakashi's head shot up sharply, and he blinked at Genma, obviously thinking deeply. After a few minutes, he said:

"Um…she's strong. She's clever, she learns quickly." He looked at an incredulous Genma. "What? What do you want me to say?"

"Well -" Genma hesitated. This was Sakura he was matchmaking for, and this had the potential to boost or ruin her life, depending on Kakashi's reaction. Genma thought it over. How to put it? Discreetly, but at the same time, leaving Kakashi with no alternative but to say how he really felt, or just blatantly? Being Genma, he would have opted for being blatant, but he knew other people didn't think the same way as him. He inhaled, before speaking again.

"She likes someone. Really likes them." Genma prayed for Kakashi to understand his meaning. He was referring to the Copy Ninja himself. But Kakashi wasn't one to be perceptive at the best of times, and this was clearly the worst.

"Good luck to her, then. Why are you bothering _me_ over some stupid crush?" A thunderous-looking Kakashi practically yelled the question. Genma took a step back. Kakashi really was in a bad mood, which was rare, for him. Genma had only seen Kakashi in a bad mood once or twice, and the best thing to do in these situations was to get the hell out of the vicinity. Unfortunately, this was something Genma could not afford to do, stuck in the bedroom suite while Sakura washed her hair, instructing them to wait on pain of death. Both shinobi had no doubt she would carry out her threat.

"Because it isn't just a stupid crush." Genma paused for dramatic effect. "It's love." Kakashi's reaction to these words was startling to say the least: Genma only just had time to dodge the shuriken aimed at his chest, leaving it to reverberate in the thick oak wood of the door leading onto the hallway. Genma sat up again, shooting his friend a worried look.

"_Love?_" Kakashi echoed. "She's too young to know what the word means!" Genma sighed. Kakashi was being as far from understanding as it was possible to get. He backed further away from the angry man, who looked ready to use his raikiri to destroy the whole mansion complex, and Genma with it.

"She is in love." He said in a quiet voice, which he was quite unaccustomed to. "I know she is."

"Good for you!" Kakashi yelled, before returning to the world of sad teenage chick-lits. Genma went to remove the shuriken from the door, before Sakura finished, came out, saw it and asked what had happened. _That would make for one hell of an awkward conversation_, Genma thought to himself.

He looked up when Sakura entered the room wearing a black kimono with a cherry blossom sash. Kakashi threw _The Kunoichi and the Brave Shinobi_ into a corner. Sakura raised a pink eyebrow, but did not comment, merely looking at Genma, who shrugged helplessly. What could anyone do to drag the most skilled shinobi in Konoha out of a foul mood? The glance Sakura had shot at Genma only seemed to worsen the atmosphere.

"Kakashi-sensei, I heard you'd located the Hoshi's private wing?" Kakashi nodded tersely, and Sakura tried to smile. "Well, could you stake it out and try to see if you can find the brooch?" Kakashi hesitated, and Genma sensed a protest from the man, but Kakashi resisted, and simply nodded once more. "Genma and I will go and find Lord and Lady Hoshi."

She beckoned hurriedly to Genma, and they exited, leaving Kakashi alone with his tumultuous thoughts.

_Snap out of it Hatake_. He told himself sternly. _She's not yours; she can like Genma if she wants_. _She can like anyone. You aren't jealous._ He repeated those words over and over like a mantra. _You aren't jealous. You aren't, you can't be. She's Sakura!_

If only he could believe his own words.

MEANWHILE…

"Lady Kobayashi! Where is your dearest husband this afternoon?"

"He is a little ill today." Sakura lied fluently. Genma didn't correct her, only shifted his feet, aware he had not been greeted by the snobbish Lady Hoshi. Said snobbish lady made an appropriately sympathetic noise.

"I hope it wasn't something he ate." Sakura resisted the urge to say that if he really had been ill, it would definitely be from eating the disgusting food the Hoshi's served up, instead smiling, and replied:

"I think it's just a virus. He should be better tomorrow, hopefully." Lady Hoshi nodded, pretending to care. Genma heaved a sigh, which made the woman frown disapprovingly. Sakura closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, Lady Hoshi was enquiring about the ball.

"Will Lord Kobayashi make it to the ball, Lady Kobayashi?"

"Oh, I should think so, Lady Hoshi." Sakura replied. "I'll make sure he attends." Genma sensed some sort of battle of wills would ensue between Kakashi and Sakura if he refused to go to the Hoshi's ball. He was considering refusing to go himself, but he knew what the pink-haired kunoichi would say to that.

"Very good. Now, what did you come to see me about?"

"Ah, now Lady Hoshi, I heard somewhere that you collected amethyst jewellery. I love amethysts, could you tell me about some of your pieces?" Sakura smiled warmly, and their hostess smiled back, not suspecting a thing. Genma marvelled at the extent of Sakura's research concerning their hostess. It remained to be seen whether or not the brooch they were searching for was amethyst, but Genma was pleased that they had a way to talk to Lady Hoshi about jewellery full stop.

"Do come into the drawing room, and I shall tell you more about amethysts." Lady Hoshi ushered them forcibly down the corridor they were standing in. Yet another corridor, endlessly stretching hundreds of metres across the mansion. Sakura, trained shinobi she was, was almost panting by the end, as was Genma, though both managed to act normally. Lady Hoshi seemed to not to notice the ninjas' breathlessness.

IN THE HOSHI'S PRIVATE WING

Kakashi had discarded _The Kunoichi and the Brave Shinobi_ in favour of finishing the forbidden _Icha Icha_ Jiraiya had recommended. He was steadily getting into a worse mood. Jiraiya had not just had the character portraying Sakura saved by the character portraying himself. Oh no. The old idiot had to go one step further, and now Kakashi was drifting into daydream territories.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Kakashi dragged himself into reality once more, to see the object of his daydream smiling sweetly up at him. _I wonder if she'd look so sweet – STOP. NOW. _He forced his thoughts onto safe ground.

"Sakura-chan." He gave a forced smile, and she beamed back, happy he seemed to have stopped being so bad-tempered. It made him feel ludicrously ashamed of himself. "What did you find out?"

"She has numerous amethyst artefacts, one of which she spoke of in great detail."

"The brooch?" Kakashi guessed, and Sakura nodded.

"Yeah, she really likes it. We're not going to get it as a gift, that's for sure." Genma put in; seemingly reassured by the fact Kakashi had not run a katana through him the moment he set eyes on him. Kakashi closed his eyes for a moment to compose himself.

"She might wear it to the ball." Sakura said sourly. The ball was a source of great discontent to her: she had nothing decent whatsoever to wear to it, and that fact alone made her despise it. The obligatory dance with her 'husband', however, she was looking forward to a little more.

"So I was thinking…" Genma began.

"…Oh Kami, run for cover everyone." Kakashi said sarcastically. Genma ignored him, and continued, with a not-exactly-disapproving look from Sakura, which made Kakashi's mood darken slightly.

"I was thinking that I could seduce her and get the brooch off her." Kakashi slapped a hand to his face in despair.

"One problem." He said. Genma looked at him, waiting for elaboration on the Copy-nin's part. Kakashi did not disappoint. "She hates you. She's a snob. She doesn't like you because you don't rank high enough on the social scale for you to be worth acknowledging."

"Which will make it even better when I get her into -"

"- Genma! Too much information!" Sakura yelled, just before Kakashi did. "We _do not_ need to know exactly what your 'mission' entails. Just get the brooch, okay?"

"Okay." Genma grinned. "So, if we're waiting until the ball to get the brooch, we have three days to kill." Sakura rolled her eyes.

"We're shinobi, Genma, we live for the moment. We don't make day-to-day plans."

"You're just scared of what I'll suggest we all do."

"You know me too well.

"Back at you." Genma retorted unimaginatively. Kakashi listened to the two ninjas squabbling playfully, trying not to snap and yell at them to shut the hell up. He had a feeling that wouldn't go down too well with Genma _or _Sakura.

"Um, sorry to stop you arguing, but…where are we?" He asked eventually, genuinely lost. Both Genma and Sakura looked up at him, and then at their surroundings, before turning back to Kakashi blankly. To them, it was the same as the twenty or so other corridors they had walked down in the previous few days. Boringly beige-coloured wallpaper, with a few a few uninteresting pictures of flowers and grass tacked up, which none of the shinobi liked, but also did not doubt the worth of.

"You mean, you don't know?" Genma enquired slowly. Kakashi shook his head, and Sakura let loose a volley of expletives the likes of which Asuma or Anko would have marvelled at. Kakashi stared open-mouthed.

"Sorry," Sakura said, after a full three minutes of swearing. "But I'm sick of this place! It's too big, it's too full of creepy servants, it's got one hateful owner, and one of the most boring, aggravating men in the world. No, not you, Lord Hoshi." She said, to an indignant Genma. "Although you _are _aggravating sometimes." Genma and Sakura picked up their bickering once more, whilst Kakashi actually tried to think of a way to get back to their suite.

Five minutes later, he summoned Pakkun, causing Genma and Sakura to cease bickering to look at the dog expectantly. Pakkun was grumbling:

"I had to leave my food for this, it had better be good."

"Oh, Pakkun, it is. We're lost." Sakura explained to the pug, who smirked.

"I thought you were trained professionals, and you go prove me wrong by getting _lost_." Pakkun spat the word with contempt. Sakura widened her emerald eyes innocently, and pouted her lips. Pakkun sighed. "Alright, just for you, Sakura-chan, I'll get you back to your suite." Sakura grinned.

"Thanks, Pakkun! I love you!" The dog stood patiently while the kunoichi threw her slender arms around his neck.

"Can I show you the way, then?" The dog asked, throwing a questioning look at Kakashi, who had a strange look on his masked face.

SIX AND A HALF HOURS LATER

"Sakura! Wake up, dammit!" Genma hissed. Sakura opened her eyes wearily, and glanced to the clock. About quarter past midnight.

"What?"

"Well, I don't know if it means anything, but he," Genma gestured to Kakashi, who was asleep, as, Sakura thought sourly, she should have been, "has been a real bastard today." Sakura stared at Genma, wondering what that had to do with anything, and why he would bother waking her up over it.

"So?"

"So, when I asked him what he thought of you, he thought -" Here, Genma dropped his voice an octave, before hissing, "- I was talking about you and _me_, not you and him." Sakura closed her eyes in mortification. How would she live this down? The man she loved believed she was in love with Genma.

"Oh Kami." She breathed. "What am I going to do?"

Suddenly, she noticed Kakashi's blanket twitch, and guessed he was awake. Her shinobi mind quickly thought up a plan.

"Genma, get in to the bed."


	8. Chapter 8

**Too Close Comfort**

**A/N:**** Hey everyone! Sorry I've taken a while to finish this, I've been working on a NaruSaku oneshot (shameless advertising, sorry). This chapter contains innuendo. Reader discretion, and all that. Please R&R. **

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own Naruto or the characters. If I did, Kakashi would be walking around topless a lot more than he currently does. And on that note…**

**Chapter eight**

"Um, what the -" Genma began, but Sakura put a hand over his mouth, and gestured to where Kakashi was lying, far too still to possibly be asleep. Genma's eyes widened in understanding, and he complied. It was freezing, anyhow.

Sakura sighed at herself. Just days ago, she wouldn't have let him within two metres of her, let alone share a bed with her, but she felt an air of respect between them now, and besides, this was necessary: hopefully, it would work in her advantage eventually.

"So – what do you want me to do?" Genma asked. Sakura closed her eyes for a second, wondering whether dirty talk just came naturally to him. She only hoped her hunch about Kakashi being awake and jealous was true, and that she could talk a little dirty herself.

"Anything, I'm desperate." She replied, and heard Kakashi shift slightly on the floor. Genma smiled slightly, as if approving her. Sakura wondered what he would think of to say next.

"Are you sure? You might regret it." Sakura tried to imagine Kakashi's face, but found that a little difficult, not knowing what it looked like.

"Go ahead. I can't regret anything that has a possibility of making me happy, can I?" She tried to sound a little apprehensive. A muffled coughing sound came from Kakashi's corner. Genma smirked evilly.

What they didn't know was that the now extremely jealous Copy-nin was barely restraining himself from running to the bed and smashing his fist into Genma's face. _Oh, come on! Don't be stupid, you don't think they'd do that? __**Um, it's Genma. **__Still, they know I'm an elite jonin. I'd wake up. Genma might not mind, but Sakura would.__** Maybe he's corrupted her.**__ Do you enjoy torturing me? Who are you, anyway?__** I'm your Inner Kakashi, dumbass.**__ I thought only Sakura had an inner self. __**Obviously not, dimwit.**__ Is Sakura's inner self as rude as you?__** Oh yeah.**__ Wait: _A thought struck Kakashi suddenly: _How do you know? __**Well, Genius, you might not stalk Sakura, but I have no such morals.**__ You're more perverted than me! I wish I didn't have morals, then I wouldn't have any hesitation about going over and murdering that arrogant… __**Oh, you aren't jealous at all, are you? **__Would you just SHUT THE HELL UP?_

Kakashi noticed Sakura and Genma had gone quiet, and strained to hear them. All he heard was the indignant snorting and complaining of his newly-found inner self. How did Sakura put up with it? He heard a sniffing noise from the bed, and hastily tuned his hearing to listen.

"I…I shouldn't cry, Genma, but it…it hurts."

"I understand – well, okay, I don't, but I know." Genma replied, stopping to accommodate a choking fit from Kakashi, now valiantly pretending to be asleep. _Am I overreacting?_ He asked himself. _**Just a little.**_ Came his inner self's arrogant answer. Kakashi sighed. _Should I ask what's going on? __**And what if you don't like what you find? **__Eww…I didn't need those images, thanks. _Kakashi tried to erase the mental pictures floating in his _Icha Icha_ saturated brain.

"I'll try again, shall I?" Genma was saying. A muted 'yes' came from an obviously tearful Sakura. Kakashi waited, ready to jump over to assist Sakura at a millisecond's notice. He didn't know what was stopping him from just pretending to wake up and ask what was happening, but some instinct told him to hold off.

"Thanks Genma…I might be breaking my heart all over again, but at least I have someone to talk to this time." Sakura said, and Kakashi frowned.That did not sound as though she were talking about herself and Genma. So who was it? _**It could be… **__No, it couldn't. Don't even say it. _Kakashi told his inner self sternly. _Shut up, or I will use one of my numerous… __**…copied… **__…techniques to get rid of you. I didn't copy everything!_ _**Sure. I believe you…**_

Sighing, Kakashi tried to go to sleep, resolutely ignoring 'Inner Kakashi' and the images of his old student threatening to take over his entire brain surface.

**XOXOXOX**

"Genma?"

"Hmm?"

"…Uh, it doesn't matter." Kakashi ducked away from asking the question.

"Damn it, Kakashi, you've started to ask me something then stopped seven times now! What the hell is wrong with you?" An inwardly smirking Genma asked. Kakashi sighed, and glanced at the door to check Sakura was still outside in the corridor, speaking to Lady Hoshi about diamonds or whatever rich ladies talked about.

"Well…" He hesitated a second, before continuing: "What's the deal with you and Sakura?" Genma seemed to be struggling not to laugh. Kakashi scowled at his 'friend', who hastily amended his facial expression by saying:

"Nothing. We're friends." His words held a knowing tone. Kakashi sighed. It seemed Genma thought he knew something about his friend's emotions. _**Like hell he does! Smack him one!**_ For once in its entire one night and three or four hours lifespan, Inner Kakashi said something Kakashi did not disagree with. Kakashi wondered vaguely where his violent thoughts had come from. Maybe it was his new-found inner self's influences. Sakura was violent, and she had an inner self.

_Oh damn it! I didn't want to think about her! __**You're talking to Genma about her. You'd have to be emotionally retarded to not think about someone you are talking about, numbskull. **__Why do you always have to be right?_ Kakashi grumbled. He felt like he had been annoyed by his inner personality for years, not hours. This led to wondering how Sakura managed to put up with it.

"Kakashi? Are you still on this planet?" Genma, Kakashi noticed dimly, was waving his right hand in front of his face. Kakashi dragged himself back to reality.

"What? Oh, yeah…Oh look, Sakura's back!" He gabbled, diving into the bathroom. Genma sighed after him, and Kakashi had a feeling he and Sakura were discussing his state of mind.

**XOXOXOX**

**A/N:**** Sorry it's v.short, I'll make a **_**much **_**longer chapter next time. You probably don't want to hear me bleating on about why I couldn't write a longer chapter, so I won't.**

**Thanks to everyone who's faved and reviewed so far. Hope you continue to enjoy the story.**


	9. Chapter 9

Too Close for Comfort

**Too Close for Comfort**

**A/N:**** Chapter nine, finally. I never believed in writer's block, until I got it. Sorry. This chapter's pretty relevant to the story, I guess. I don't own Naruto or any of the characters. Please R&R.**

**Chapter nine **

"Kakashi-sensei?"

"Hmm?"

"Where are we going?" Sakura brushed a strand of rose-pink hair behind her ears. Kakashi glanced up from the latest romance novel he had borrowed from her, _The Most Dashing Shinobi_. In Kakashi's opinion, it was more hardcore than _Icha Icha_, not that he was complaining, exactly.

"How do you expect me to know? This house is too big; we established that about a day ago, didn't we?" Sakura looked anxious at Kakashi's indifference answer.

"But where did you plan on going?"

"I plan on going to Lady Hoshi's private quarters. But having no idea where they are, we'll probably never find them." Sakura was not reassured by Kakashi's attitude on the matter. She walked on uncomfortably. _Where has Genma gone? _She asked herself. As always, her inner self had an answer. _**Out. As far away from the moody bastard taking us Kami knows where as possible. **_Sakura reflected that for once, her inner self was probably right. Kakashi's strange behaviour had not dissipated overnight, most unfortunately, but Genma had _smirked_ when Kakashi had said he was going somewhere. The senbon-wielder had then suggested he take Sakura with him, as he had somewhere he needed to be.

He had, perhaps wisely, ignored the cough that sounded suspiciously like: "Brothel." From a certain Copy-nin. Sakura wondered why Kakashi was upset, and hoped it was nothing to do with her.

"Kakashi-sensei?"

"Hmm?" He didn't turn to look at her, so did not see the blush forming on his ex-student's features.

"Oh…it doesn't matter." She said quietly. Kakashi nodded, not pressing her as someone like Naruto would have done. They walked on, passing a small room Sakura had not seen before. The house just seemed to get bigger and more intimidating as each day passed.

Sakura sighed in a frustrated way. Kakashi's visible eye did not move from the book he was holding. Ten seconds later, she tried again.

"Kakashi-sensei?"

"Hmm?"

"…Um…" She tried to think of a way to put it, before finally giving in and saying weakly; "…Why do you enjoy reading my books so much?" Kakashi looked as though he knew that was not what she had wanted to ask, but he refrained from commenting, instead answering her question with a non-committal grunt and a:

"Because they're okay?" As though it was a quiz question he was guessing the answer to. Sakura sighed and continued walking.

It became apparent they were nearing the Hoshi's private quarters due to the overwhelming stench of expensive, musky fragrance permeating their senses and making Sakura choke slightly. Even then, Kakashi did not glance up from his – well, her – book.

They practically tiptoed down the corridor, knowing there would be awkward questions if they were caught. Kakashi continued reading as though he didn't have a care in the world. Sakura admired that quality. If only _she _could pretend she didn't have any worries.

Five seconds later, they were greeted by a door…heavily guarded with a security code and numerous locks and bolts. Kakashi sighed.

"You wouldn't happen to have a hairslide, would you, Sakura?" Sakura glanced up: it was the first time that day that he had used her name. She fumbled in her shuriken holster, hidden under layers of lace petticoats and the heavy, peach yukata she was wearing. She was all too aware of the fact that she was showing her ex-sensei a lot more of her legs that she was completely comfortable with, but she didn't suppose it was an all too bad thing.

She couldn't know that Kakashi was having a hard time arguing with his inner self. _I do not like her like that! __**You so do like her. **__She's an attractive woman, I'm a man… __**Ha ha.**__ What is that supposed to mean? __**Nothing, nothing…really… just - you're screwed!**_ Kakashi shook himself. Now was not the time to enter that sort of battle with Inner Kakashi. Now was the time to take the hairslide the petite kunoichi was holding out to him, and open the door.

"Kakashi-sensei?"

"Hmm?" Kakashi picked the first lock open carefully. It barely made a sound besides a gentle click.

"What will we do if Lord or Lady Hoshi are in the chambers we're breaking into?" Sakura asked a little nervously. Kakashi paused for a moment.

"Let's hope for the best, huh?" He resumed picking the locks. "You wouldn't happen to have a credit card or something?" Sakura dutifully lifted up the layers of cotton covering the leg her shuriken holster was attached to. Kakashi wondered what else she had stowed in her shuriken holster, but sensed it would not be a good idea to ask her.

After what seemed to Kakashi like a prolonged period of time, Sakura let the folds of material fall back around her ankles, passing Kakashi a store card. He took it with a muttered 'thank you' and slid the card down the crack between the door and the frame. The lock clicked, a little more audibly than the first one, and gave way.

"Were you a burglar or something before you became a shinobi?" Sakura asked teasingly. Kakashi gave a chuckle in response, feeling his bad mood alleviate slightly. He pushed the door open, and they both took a step inside.

"Damn." Kakashi muttered. Sakura sighed.

"Another door?"

"And this one has an alarm. We either guess the security code, or go in through that window." Kakashi pointed to a tiny sliver of glass above the barricaded door that would be a stretch for her to get through, let alone him.

"Um."

"Yeah." The shinobi stared at the door, then at the window. "I'll give you a leg-up." Kakashi offered. Sakura stared at him.

"You want me to go through that thing to get killed by the Hoshi monster while you just sit out here?"

"You don't even know if she's in there. Besides, you're a natural at genjutsu." Kakashi pointed out with infuriating logic. Sakura sighed, and accepted his help to reach the window.

"What am I looking for anyway?" Sakura asked, half in and half out of the window. Kakashi paused a moment.

"Jewels of any kind. Anything. I have a hunch about Lady Hoshi." Sakura nodded, reassured. She didn't know what his hunch was, but Kakashi's hunches were accurate for the most part. She hoisted herself over the ledge of the window and jumped down onto the carpet the other side, as nimble as a cat.

Looking around the grand room, she felt a little resentful. The not-exactly-huge room she, Kakashi and Genma had been sharing was not half as luxuriously furnished as this.

The ceilings were white, but the rest of the room was painted in a soft pink-red colour, and even the curtains were expensive-looking to a modest kunoichi like Sakura. She couldn't help but wonder what her life would be like if she really was a noblewoman in a smart mansion with servants and guests to entertain. She decided it would be boring, and set about looking for jewellery.

She sifted through drawer after drawer of silk kimonos, smart dresses, suits…but no jewels. Not even a single pearl. Sakura's eyes narrowed as she moved another intricately patterned kimono to the side, her sharp vision catching sight of a metallic flash.

It took only an instant for her to snatch at the glint and drag the object out of the drawer. She drew in a startled breath. She was holding what must have been about one million ryo's worth of rubies, diamonds, sapphires, emeralds…all encrusted into solid gold necklaces and bracelets, bangles and hair accessories. She stared at the objects in spellbound fascination.

"Kakashi-sensei?" She asked, her voice little above a whisper.

"Hmm?" Came the predictable response.

"I've found what we're looking for." She heard him straighten up suddenly, pages of her book rustling.

"Come back, then, and we'll check them out." He replied. Sakura went back over to the window, praying Lord or Lady Hoshi would not come back and find them in possession of an unspeakably priceless amount of jewellery. She clambered through the window, dropping down next to Kakashi, who looked almost reverently at the jewels she was clutching.

"Well? Is your hunch right, Sensei?" Sakura demanded. Kakashi nodded slowly.

"Sure is. All of these jewels are stolen, I recognise them from descriptions." Sakura's green eyes widened. It seemed the brooch was not the only item of jewellery the Hoshi's had possession of, whether they knew or not. It seemed improbable that they would not be aware of the situation, seeing how many jewels they were in possession of.

"Let's get out of here." Sakura suggested, knowing it was only a matter of time before the Hoshi's arrived back from wherever they were. Kakashi nodded, stowing some of the jewels in his own shuriken holster. They walked back through the unlocked door, and began to slide all the bolts back into place, when they heard an unpleasantly familiar voice.

"Come along, darling, we have the ball tonight; I must prepare." Kakashi and Sakura shot each other horrified glances. Kakashi acted first, dragging Sakura back through the door, bolting and locking it with lightning speed, and pushing her into a closet that Sakura had not noticed before, before joining her.

"And now we wait, and pray." Kakashi hissed. Sakura stayed silent, giving a small nod. They heard the Hoshi's unbolt the door they had just locked, before walking right past the shinobis' hiding place, Lady Hoshi still chattering on to her husband obliviously.

After another minute or so, Kakashi motioned for them to leave the closet. Sakura was a little disappointed. The closet had not been extremely large, and she had quite enjoyed being so close to Kakashi with a good reason. But she dutifully left the closet, and they ran with all the grace of their shinobi kind, not making a sound.

They didn't have a problem finding their room again, although it took fifteen minutes at a full sprint. It would seem panic gave them both a better sense of direction. Sakura and Kakashi burst into the room and collapsed on the bed, panting. Genma, now sitting in the corner of the room, looked up at the two.

"What the hell have you two been doing?" He asked, for once his tone not suggestive. Sakura glanced up from the pillow that had been slowly suffocating her.

"Mhpf." She reached into her holster and dragged out some jewels in explanation. Genma's brown eyes widened in shock. He went to examine the jewels. Kakashi sat up.

"I've got to go and report to Tsunade. See you in a bit."

"Be back in plenty of time for the ball!" Sakura called, as he disappeared. "Don't you dare be late, Kakashi-sensei -" She broke off to cough in the wake of the smoke her ex-sensei left behind him.

Sakura turned to Genma, and noticed he was holding a bag. It was a garish orange colour, reminding her of _Icha Icha_.

"What's in that bag, Genma?" She asked curiously. Genma smirked.

"Well, I thought, since you said you have no clothes to speak of that are suitable for this ball tonight…"

"Where did you buy it from? Genma, tell me you didn't go to a sex shop or something!" Sakura wouldn't put it past him, but he merely grinned.

"If sex shops sell this stuff…" He handed her the bag, and she opened it tentatively. Genma watched her reaction with interest. She gave a barely audible gasp.

"Oh, wow." She managed to say after a moment. "Wait, how did you get my measurements?"

**A/N:**** Next time, the ball…**


	10. Chapter 10

Too Close for Comfort

**Too Close for Comfort**

**A/N:**** I don't know too much about dancing, but I tried to make it as detailed as I could…Please R&R?**

**Chapter Ten**

"I took a tape measure and measured you in your sleep." Genma told Sakura sarcastically. "I looked in your wardrobe, of course." Sakura nodded, reassured, and went back to gazing in spellbound awe at the dress Genma had bought for her.

"Oh, thank you so much, Genma!" She flung her arms around Genma's neck, much to the older man's surprise. He returned her purely platonic embrace after a moment.

"Are you going to try the dress on?" He asked, hoping it would fit her and she would like it. He wasn't going to tell Sakura, but the dress had cost him a small fortune, and with the surprise items Shizune had added, without letting him see what he was paying for, it was even more.

Thinking of the surprise items, he lifted the box from the very bottom of the bag. "Shizune wouldn't let me see what it was…" Sakura took the box from him with a small smirk.

"What? Don't even think about it. No. I asked her to help me choose the dress; it wasn't a date or anything…" Sakura was not convinced by Genma's vehement denial. She opened the box Genma had not been allowed to see inside, and grinned.

"Remind me to thank your girlfriend the next time I see her." Genma did not bother to correct her about his and Shizune's relationship status, merely grunting in an offhand way that meant he'd had an educational guess at what was in the box. Sakura turned her gaze back to the light pink lingerie lying at the bottom of the box, mere wisps of silk and lace. Sakura suddenly wished she'd been better blessed in _those_ departments.

Genma did not seem quite as bothered as he helped her undo the heavy yukata she was wearing, as it was too fiddly for her nervous hands.

She would have shuddered at the thought of stripping to her underwear in front of him only days ago, but now, she wasn't bothered. He didn't look too hard, and she wondered how she had never seen what a kind (not to mention generous) person he was before this mission had opened her eyes.

She slipped the new dress on effortlessly, and Genma gasped slightly. Sakura thought he was being over-dramatic, until she caught sight of herself in the mirror.

"Oh, I look…"

"…Stunning." Genma finished for her. She blushed slightly. The dress was a shimmering, silken, fitted number, floor-length, with beading along the dipping neckline. It was a mixture of colours, appearing to be pale lilac at first glance, but also comprised pale blue, lavender, darker purples and powder pink, all blended into one flawless colour. The dress was also backless, and had a seamless slit up the left leg.

"How long until the ball?" She asked him. Genma glanced at his watch, before replying:

"Two and a half hours."

"I'll take it off for a bit, then." Sakura decided. "You can help me with my make-up." She giggled at Genma's expression.

**XOXOX**

The door of the en suite room began to open, only an hour later. Sakura yelped. "Get in the bathroom, quick: I'll deal with Kakashi." Genma told her. Sakura did not waste any time over Genma's command, she grabbed the dress lying over the back of the bed, and leapt into the bathroom to get changed, to avoid Kakashi seeing the spellbinding dress before the ball.

Inside the bathroom, she prayed Genma would manage to make Kakashi dress appropriately. She did not need the man pretending to be her husband turning up to the dance in his jonin vest and baggy pants, complete with leg bindings and shuriken holster. That would certainly kill any remnants of warmth between the shinobi and the Hoshi's.

"Hey, Hatake, you're on time, for once."

"Hm." Came the Hatake genius' response. Genma sighed heavily.

"Sakura wants us both to wear these." Genma pointed to two black tuxedos he had hired from the shop he'd bought Sakura's dress from. Kakashi grunted slightly, not sounding particularly enthused by this. "She's in there…sorting her make-up in private." Genma said quickly, when Kakashi asked where Sakura was. "You know how girls are…ha ha." He could practically feel Sakura glaring daggers at him through the firmly locked bathroom door.

At half-past seven, both shinobi were ready for the ballroom dance, the brunette anticipating it slightly more eagerly than the masked man. "Sakura? Are you ready?" Genma called. There was a pause.

"Go on without me, I'll be down in a minute." Genma guessed Sakura didn't want Kakashi to see her just yet. Before the oblivious Copy-nin tactless wrecked her plan by doing something stupid like pushing the bathroom door in to see if she was okay, Genma called:

"Okay! See you in a bit!" He propelled Kakashi firmly to the door, ignoring the fact that the silver-haired man could easily take him out by pushing his shoulder with his pinkie. "Come on, Hatake!" He tried to sound cheerful, although he wondered about the probability of his mood lasting the night.

They arrived at the hall the dance was being held in five minutes late, which apparently didn't matter to Lady Hoshi, who seemed to be too busy drinking cocktails to greet them.

Two minutes after, the men heard a collective gasp, and turned to look at the entrance to the hall. Standing there looking slightly nervous but unbelievably stunning was Sakura, wearing her beautiful lilac dress that shimmered in the flattering lights. The thin straps on the dress showed a little of what was underneath in a subtle way. Lord Hoshi almost dropped his cocktail. Many of the men in the room looked at Sakura with open jaws.

Genma was pleased to see the possessive look that crossed the visible sliver of Kakashi's face. He had begun to think the man was a completely asexual specimen. It appeared not. Sakura crossed the room gracefully, a few tendrils of pink hair escaping from the swept-up style she had achieved, even with her hair only coming down to her shoulders.

"Hey, you two." She greeted them quietly. Genma sensed Kakashi snap his jaw closed. He smiled to himself.

"Uh…hi…" Kakashi managed. Genma's smile grew even wider, but he caught himself before Kakashi saw. Sakura turned her back on the other men in the room, who were looking lustfully at her and enviously at Kakashi. _Maybe they'll have a reason to be jealous by the end of the night._ The thought struck Genma unbidden, and he almost laughed at his stupidity. Kakashi had been affected by Sakura's dress: so what? The other men in the room had, too. It didn't _mean_ anything, necessarily. But perhaps it didn't _not_ mean anything, either.

Genma downed another cocktail to try and stop confusing himself. His third in approximately as many minutes. Sakura and Kakashi seemed to have decided to act like a real married couple, and Kakashi had his arm draped casually over Sakura's shoulder, and she was leaning in towards him. _Wow, they look good together._ Genma decided that he wouldn't drink any more alcohol. Before taking another highly intoxicating cocktail from a passing waitress, not even bothering to respond to her scanty clothing and obvious advances.

He watched the two as Sakura pulled a now composed Kakashi towards the dancefloor. Genma knew a lot of the guests, female as well as male, wanted to see the outcome of this. Hell, _he_ wanted to see the outcome of this. Lord Hoshi was still staring at Sakura. Lady Hoshi elbowed him hard in the ribs. Genma noticed the brooch glistening on Lady Hoshi's gaudy floral ball gown.

As the 'married couple' joined half a dozen others on the dancefloor, a new song began. It was a fast-paced salsa, and it sounded just a little raunchy. Kakashi placed his right hand on Sakura's hip. As they turned, Genma saw the slight blush on Sakura's features, which was quickly cancelled out by her wide, sultry smirk.

There was a moment in which they prepared themselves, whilst Genma held his breath without realising he was doing it.

Kakashi spun Sakura around his left arm, and she came back towards his chest, but he pushed her away gently before she got more than half a foot away. They let go of each other's hands for a moment, before joining together again. Kakashi's right hand moved to the small of Sakura's back, and she arched her back. He dipped his head slightly, before pulling her to an upright position.

_Since when can he dance?_ Genma wondered to himself, downing yet another cocktail, though more because he was too absorbed in the couple on the dancefloor than because he wanted to get drunk. Everyone was captivated now, even the other dancing couples. Kakashi and Sakura were breathtaking to watch. He looked on as Sakura slipped closer to Kakashi, dancing around him as he moved to enable himself to keep a grasp on her hands. They danced on, the couples around dancing as well, but they were mere accompaniment to Kakashi and Sakura.

Genma could see that both were very close to losing control, but both were still unsure if this dance was still a cover or whether the other felt the same.

He noticed Lady Hoshi, standing a little apart from her husband, staring jealously at Sakura. Kakashi was now supporting her left leg with a hand on her thigh. Genma remembered they had a mission, and looked at Lady Hoshi again. She was completely off guard, the brooch shimmering absently on her dress. Genma's mind was a lot sharper than people gave him credit for, and a moment later, on the pretext of moving closer to the dancefloor, he slammed his shoulder into Lady Hoshi's. She stumbled, and, pretending to steady her, Genma's hand grabbed the brooch and tugged it off. Lady Hoshi was too busy glaring at him to notice the missing item of jewellery.

"Very sorry, your lady." Genma said sarcastically. It appeared Lady Hoshi knew how to recognise sarcasm, as her glare deepened. Genma moved away, pocketing the brooch, unseen by anyone. Once over at the other side of the room, he looked back to the dancefloor.

The song ended at that moment, leaving Kakashi and Sakura's faces very close to one another. They were both breathing heavily, and it was obvious what was going through their minds. There was a spontaneous burst of applause from the spectators, and Kakashi lifted Sakura to her full height. She looked pleasantly flushed, and Genma wondered how hard it was for Kakashi to remain reasonably composed in her presence. The men who had been close to them on the dancefloor looked awestruck, and even the women, mostly middle-aged and squeezed into tight ball gowns, looked disconcerted by the couple.

"You two are so perfect together. It's obvious, you have great chemistry." Genma heard a strawberry blonde woman remark to Sakura, who blushed even deeper. Many of the other women nodded in agreement. Kakashi arm closed around his 'wife', and lead her off the dancefloor with a mock-courteous smile to the ladies, which was almost indistinguishable due to the fact that it did not reach his visible eye.

"I have the brooch." Genma muttered. Sakura's eyes widened.

"So quickly?" She sounded slightly strangled. Genma nodded, wanting to cuff them both around the head and tell them to do something about their 'great chemistry'. He figured that wouldn't be the best approach. He showed them the brooch briefly.

"Let's get out of here." Kakashi said briskly, sounded unaffected by his dance. Genma sighed.

"Pretend to faint, or something, Sakura." He told the flushed cherry blossom, who didn't look as if she needed much encouragement. She sank to floor. Genma noticed Kakashi rushed to grab her before he could.

"Come on." The Copy-nin said quietly, and he picked the limp Sakura up bridal-style. They exited the bustling, noisy room without attracting too much attention, apart from a young man ogling Sakura's slightly exposed thigh. Kakashi glared so vehemently that the man ran to his friends on the other side of the room. Genma smirked. Kakashi ignored him completely.

Kakashi did not let Sakura down immediately after they exited the hall, instead walking all the way to the stairwell before setting her down. She looked a little dazed. The shinobi continued up the stairs silently. Genma could feel tension, and he wondered why.

"Well, here we are." Genma said cheerfully, as they arrived at their room without getting lost. There was no response from the pair behind him, and he turned. What he saw made him give a repressed choke, and a muttered: "Finally."

Kakashi and Sakura had evidently communicated telepathically and decided mutually on their actions. _Or something like that_, Genma mused. They were currently kissing _very _heatedly, Kakashi's mask around his neck and his arms around Sakura's waist, Sakura with her arms wrapped around Kakashi's neck.

"Uh, I'll…wait out here until morning, then." Genma offered. Sakura made an indistinct noise of approval for this plan, before she and Kakashi tumbled breathlessly into their room.

Genma stared after them, a genuine smile playing across his handsome features. It had taken a few days of annoying noble people, balls and angst, but it finally looked as though Kakashi and Sakura were going to get together.

Genma sat down in the corridor, preparing himself for a long night and congratulating himself on his matchmaking skills.


	11. Chapter 11

Too Close for Comfort

**Too Close for Comfort**

**A/N:**** Please bear in mind that this is the first lemon I've ever published on Fanfiction. Sorry it's so short. That said, hope you enjoy, and review! Shikari The welsh ninja did some fanart for chapter ten. You can find it here:** **shikari-nara07./art/TCFC-Chptr-10-Fanart-94936859**** . Also, I have a poll on my page, if anyone's interested.**

**Chapter Eleven**

"You have no idea how long I've wanted this." Sakura breathed against Kakashi's face. He smirked, and she took a look at the handsome cheekbones, the curving mouth, the sharp jawline, the youthful features. There was a moment in which she thought she sounded like Gai, and then it disappeared when he kissed her once more, his tongue exploring her mouth, sweeping over her teeth. She responded eagerly, and her breath hitched when, not breaking the kiss, his hands trailed down the back of her neck.

She shivered, and responded yet more passionately to the kiss. Kakashi's hand moved to the zip down the side of her dress, and hesitated, silently asking her permission. She did not object, and he began to ease the zip down.

**XOXOX**

Genma sat outside the room on the floor, staring blankly at the picture on the wall opposite him. Despite his reputation as a pervert with most of the population of Konoha, he was in no hurry to spy on or listen to Kakashi and Sakura's antics. His hand strayed to the brooch in his pocket, and he brought it out, admiring the shine of the jewels. He heard a small moan from Sakura, and sighed. This was going to be a long night for all parties, 'involved' or not.

The smell of expensive, sickly sweet fragrance suddenly assaulted his nostrils, and he leapt to his feet just as Lady Hoshi rounded the corner. She looked at him as a tiger might regard a zebra: as helpless prey. Genma shivered, fighting the urge to send his senbon through her flabby neck, and show her he could be just as scary as her. _Oh wait, that would be impossible._ Genma thought to himself. He tried to smile convincingly.

"Hello, Shikibu-san. Might I enquire as to your standing in my hallway?" Genma groaned inwardly at Lady Hoshi's question, and improvised. Badly.

"I was, uh, looking at this painting. It's very…pretty." He said lamely. Lady Hoshi arched an eyebrow. It was obvious she did not believe him. She paused a moment, before saying casually:

"Well, I was coming around by your suite to ask if any of you have seen my brooch. It has disappeared." She said, in a saccharine tone which was betrayed by her icy, distrustful eyes. Genma swallowed, hoping the brooch was not visible on his person. Hopefully, unless she decided to strip-search him, he would not be discovered. "Also, some jewellery from my room has gone. I thought maybe you might have seen someone with it, Shikibu-san?" Genma shook his head hastily.

"No, Lady Hoshi, I haven't. Um, I'll tell you if I do."

"Make sure of it." She said coldly. "Maybe you could ask Lord and Lady Kobayashi if they have seen any items of jewellery?" Genma gulped. His life was officially over. He could not refuse, lest Lady Kobayashi became even more suspicious, but neither could he simply barge into the room, disturbing Kakashi and Sakura. He doubted much had happened yet, but neither shinobi would be overjoyed by an interruption. He took a deep breath.

"Of course, Lady Hoshi." He tried to smile, succeeding in a pained-looking grimace. He put his hand on the door handle, and pushed it open. There was an indignant squawk from Sakura, and Lady Hoshi smirked at Genma sadistically, obviously getting a clearer picture of the situation. Genma cleared his throat awkwardly. "Um, you two, have you seen any of Lady Hoshi's jewellery lately?"

"No, we have not seen _any_ of Lady Hoshi's jewellery, Idomu." Kakashi managed, in a sort of strangled voice. Having been disturbed when with a woman himself, Genma knew the feeling, and empathised deeply, in his own little way. He turned back to Lady Hoshi, and said quickly:

"No, they haven't either."

"Well, you be sure to all stay in your rooms tonight!" Lady Hoshi smiled at him, peering around him to try to get a view of Kakashi and Sakura, and Genma wondered why she'd just said what she had. He hoped she would leave, but she stayed firmly where she was, smiling at him woodenly. Genma sighed, and ducked into the room, wishing Lady Hoshi good night: "…and die, bitch." Genma muttered under his breath. He was not usually so horrible, but he would make an exception for Lady Hoshi, bless her soul. "Um, can I, uh, use the bathroom?" He muttered to Kakashi and Sakura, slamming the door in Lady Hoshi's rotund face.

"Sure, you go ahead." Sakura said weakly. Genma finally got a glimpse – well, eyeful – of what Shizune had picked out for the kunoichi, and was also confronted by the sight of a shirtless Kakashi. He looked away, and ran for the bathroom, locking the door firmly behind him. He sank down onto the cold floor, preparing himself for a sleepless night. He had no idea.

**XOXOX**

"Mood-killer much?" Sakura said, a giggle in her voice. Kakashi smirked.

"Have a _nice_ night, Lord and Lady!" Lady Hoshi sounded positively icy. Sakura stifled yet another giggle.

"Oh, we will, thanks!" Kakashi said, muttering afterwards: "When will that woman get the hell away from here?" Sakura put her hand over her mouth. Lady Hoshi paused, making Kakashi wonder if she had finally gone away, but then she added:

"Don't let me stop you, then. You just make sure to have a _long_ lie-in tomorrow!"

"She's just jealous because her husband probably has the sex drive of a plank of wood!" Genma hissed through the door of the bathroom, not letting his feeling that something was wrong slip through in his voice. Sakura couldn't help but give a yelp of laughter at this, and even Kakashi chuckled slightly. Lady Hoshi seemed offended by this outburst of laughter so obviously at her expense, even if she hadn't quite caught the insult.

"I'll leave you three to it, then." She said, a hint of amusement in her mock-innocent tone.

"What the hell is that damn woman trying to insinuate?" Sakura hissed, suddenly very angry, before putting on her most saccharine tone and saying firmly: "_Goodnight_, Lady Hoshi." Finally, they heard footsteps, signalling Lady Hoshi was leaving the vicinity. _**Thank Kami, now we can get on with…this. **_Inner Sakura smirked, wickedly triumphant. Sakura licked her lips slightly, not realising just how seductive it made her look to Kakashi. He pulled her closer, and her unzipped dress fell to the floor, leaving Sakura in her lacy, silky pink underwear. She had no time to feel embarrassed, as Kakashi kissed her once more, making her forget everything but the feel of his skin on hers. He murmured his approval at her choice in underwear, which was really Shizune's choice, but she'd be damned if she was going to tell him that.

"Are you totally sure you want this, Sakura?" Kakashi asked. Sakura looked up into his mismatched eyes, so endearing to her.

"More than anything." She told him breathlessly. He smiled then, and his hands slipped to the hooks at the back of her bra, undoing them expertly, before throwing the wispy scrap of fabric onto the floor, and guiding Sakura to the bed. Kakashi cupped her mounds gently, and his mouth moved from her neck down to the valley of her breasts, finally suckling on her left breast, eliciting an aroused moan from Sakura. She pulled at the waistband of his tuxedo pants urgently, and soon there was nothing but two flimsy pieces of cloth separating them from one another. Kakashi's hand moved down to Sakura's panties. He could smell her arousal, and it only served to heighten his own. He slipped a hand beneath the pink silk, fingers brushing lightly over coarse hairs.

Sakura gasped, her breath growing more and more ragged as Kakashi's fingers moved over her moist sex. He trailed his fingers slowly over her sensitive bundle of nerves, before slipping a finger easily inside her. Sakura's back arched in pleasure, but just as she got close to the edge, Kakashi pulled away, leaving her lying on the mattress, trembling from her near-high, eyes clouded with desperation and lust.

"Please, don't stop." She begged him, and he tore off her panties in response. Her breath hitched, and she pulled frantically at the waistband of his boxers, which were soon also discarded on the floor. Sakura felt his breath of her neck. He didn't bother to warn her of the pain: she was a medic, she knew what to expect. It didn't stop her from closing her eyes slightly as he pushed his member deep inside her core. He stayed still for a few moments inside her, before beginning to thrust. Sakura gave a deep moan, and Kakashi placed a trail of butterfly kisses down the side of her neck. They ground their hips against one another desperately, as though they could each never get enough of the other.

Kakashi deftly switched her position beneath him, and drove into her with enough force to have Sakura screaming out his name from the depths of a seemingly never ending orgasm that tore through her entire body with an almost unbearable pleasure. Kakashi found his own release moments after her, and his lover's screams mingled with his groans.

**XOXOX**

A very unfortunate Genma put his hands over his ears. _Twenty-eight minutes and fifty-four seconds._ _Come on, shut up now and go to sleep…_ He willed his friends. After a few more minutes of very heavy breathing, all went quiet. Genma let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. He was actually extremely pleased for the two, just not so pleased that Lady Hoshi had done her best to ruin the mood, and said some strange things at the same time. The phrases floated through his head. _"Well, you be sure to all stay in your rooms tonight!" "You just make sure to have a _long_ lie-in tomorrow." _

Genma thought about it. The more he thought about it, the more he came to a startling conclusion. A few hours later, he tried to unlock his door to wake and warn Kakashi and Sakura of his suspicions, but the lock was very stiff. The door would not move. Genma swore, and tried again, throwing his weight against the side of the door. He swore again, this time in pain. The door, thick and made of sturdy oak, still did not move an inch.

"Kakashi…Sakura…wake up!" He said, in a voice just slightly louder than normal. There was no reply. "Kakashi? Sakura?" He asked, panicking a little. There was a long pause, and Genma strained his ears. All he heard was heavy breathing. He looked at the watch he was wearing. It wasn't that late. They had time. But only if he could wake the two sleeping shinobi in the adjoining room and get himself out of the bathroom. He sat down on the tiles heavily, thinking hard. He didn't want to yell too loudly and wake the Hoshi monster as well, but he could see no other option. Hopefully, Lady Hoshi would be too far away to hear him. He stood up, went closer to the door, and shouted: "Kakashi! Sakura! Wake up, now!" Nothing happened.

Genma banged his fists against the wall in frustration, and ran to the window. No hope of escape by that means, the window was about forty feet away from the ground, and although he could probably get down uninjured, he would have no way of getting back into the house without being detected. As he went to turn from the window, his sharp eyesight noticed about half a dozen shady figures residing in a tree. He shivered, his theory good as confirmed.

He rushed over to the jammed door again and took a deep breath.

**XOXOX**

"KAKASHI! SAKURA! WAKE UP, GODDAMN IT!" Both shinobi did just that, Kakashi's hold around Sakura tightening instinctively. She rubbed her eyes blearily.

"What the hell? Genma?"

"This door's jammed."

"Genma, it's four-thirty in the morning." Kakashi said, as patiently as possible. There was a sigh from Genma's side of the wall.

"Dumbass, listen. Get me out, and you'll thank me for it. Don't get me out and go back to sleep, we're all as good as dead." Having caught the exhausted shinobis' attentions, he continued: "There are six guys in a tree, all waiting to attack us soon, and I'm willing to bet they're answering to the Hoshi monster. Now get me out!" Both Kakashi and Sakura leapt up at once, and rushed to the door into the en suite bathroom.

"Stand back, Genma." Sakura said, loading her fist with chakra. He did so, hastily. Kakashi did the same. Sakura swung her fist with the right amount of chakra to bring the door crashing down, but leave the doorframe and the rest of the room intact. The door hit the ground with a dull thump, splinters flying from it. When the debris settled, Genma stepped out.

"Okay, what the hell is going on, Genma?" Kakashi demanded.

"Well…" Genma wasn't quite sure where to begin.


	12. Chapter 12

Too Close for Comfort

**Too Close for Comfort**

**A/N:**** Please don't blame me for the delay, my dog just got run over. Please R&R. I do not own Naruto or 'Disturbia' by Rihanna.**

_**What's wrong with me?  
Why do I feel like this?  
**__**I'm going crazy now…**_

No more gas in the rig,  
Can't even get it started.  
Nothing heard, nothing said,  
Can't even speak about it.  
All my life on my head, 

_**Don't want to think about it.  
Feels like I'm going insane,  
Yeah**_

It's a thief in the night,  
To come and grab you. 

_**It can creep up inside you,  
And consume you.  
A disease of the mind,  
It can control you.  
It's too close for comfort, woah…**_

Throw on your break lights,  
We're in the city of wonder.  
Ain't gonna play nice,  
Watch out, you might just go under.  
Better think twice,  
Your train of thought will be altered,  
So if you must falter be wise.  
Your mind's in disturbia,  
It's like the darkness is the light,  
Disturbia,  
Am I scaring you tonight?  
Disturbia,  
Ain't used to what you like, disturbia.  
Disturbia.

Faded pictures on the wall,  
It's like they talkin' to me.  
Disconnectin' your call,  
Your phone don't even ring.  
I gotta get out,  
Or figure this shit out.  
It's too close for comfort.

It's a thief in the night,  
To come and grab you.  
It can creep up inside you,  
And consume you.  
A disease of the mind,  
It can control you.  
I feel like a monster

Throw on your break lights;  
We're in the city of wonder.  
Ain't gonna play nice,  
Watch out, you might just go under.  
Better think twice,  
Your train of thought will be altered,  
So if you must falter be wise.  
Your mind's in disturbia,  
It's like the darkness is the light,  
Disturbia,  
Am I scaring you tonight?  
Disturbia,  
Ain't used to what you like,  
Disturbia, disturbia. 

**Chapter Twelve**

"Twenty point four-five degrees north from Konoha, approximately seventy-three point two-nine degrees east." Sakura reeled off. Kakashi gave a surveying glance out to the forest through the bathroom window. Debris from the broken door littered the floor.

"Seventy-three point two-eight-five." He corrected. Sakura nodded, and noted down the latitude and longitude of the assassins on a sheet of paper. Genma shook his head in disbelieve. He didn't have a clue about latitude and longitude, or how to figure it out without spending hours poring over a map that had the lines marked down on them. In different colours. With a neon flashing sign…

He glanced out of the window, looking to the shinobi assassins, who were still quite a distance away. "What about us in relation to them?" Kakashi said, taking the paper from his lover, who surveyed their surroundings, before replying quickly:

"Twenty point three-one-two degrees north, seventy-three point one-four-seven-two degrees east."

Genma sighed and sharpened a kunai absently. _When will we actually get to fight, damn it?_ He cursed under his breath. Neither Sakura nor Kakashi paid him any attention whatsoever, completely focused on their measurements. Kakashi scribbled a sum onto the paper, and glanced to Sakura, who took a glance and said: "Divide by the longitude plus the number of shinobi? We have forty-seven point eight-four seconds if they move at top speed, one minute and eleven point two-four seconds."

"Sorry to be dim, but how the hell do you work this stuff out?"

"Practice." Kakashi's answer was distinctly uninformative. Genma went back to sharpening his kunai. He knew Kakashi and Sakura were probably wondering whether he had a nervous tic or something. Sakura suddenly ran from the bathroom into the bedroom. Kakashi raised an eyebrow at her back. Genma asked her what the hell she was doing.

"Well I don't know about you, but I'm not fighting in a dressing-gown." She said, with some logic, both Kakashi and Genma had to admit. She was referring, of course, to the flimsy silky robe thing she had thrown on to rescue Genma from the bathroom. Kakashi was also wearing one: fortunately for him, black, instead of the orangey-red colour Sakura had on. It clashed terribly with her vivid pink hair. _Is it wrong to be thinking about my hair at a time like this? __**Yep. But hey, who gives a damn? Your hair **_**is **_**a complete mess, by the way, sweetie. **_Sakura pushed her inner self to the rear of her already buzzing mind, and grabbed her kunoichi clothes from inside the wardrobe, rushed into the bathroom and locked the door.

"I suggest you two change into something more suitable to fight in, too." Sakura's muffled voice came from behind the thick door.

"Whatever you say, boss." Genma answered, and heard a small growl from Sakura.

Five minutes later saw them all in their usual shinobi and kunoichi outfits, the ones they had not worn for days. It felt more like months. Years. "Whoa, we're ninjas again!" Genma exclaimed. Sakura cuffed him gently round the head, smiling as she did so. Genma knew she was glad to be back in her natural attire, rather than the stiff, heavy yukatas and kimonos residing in the Hoshi household required her to wear. She dragged a brush through her hair, and began clearing out her shuriken holster.

Genma stared in amazement as Sakura emptied the tiny holder. Kakashi was not so surprised by the sheer amount of rubbish coming out of the shuriken holster, seeing as she'd given him a hairclip and a store card from its depths not twenty-four hours ago. First came a locket: Kakashi recognized that Naruto had given it to the kunoichi for her last birthday. Next, a packet of Kirby grips, a purse, a stick of eyeliner, a bottle of handwash…

"Have you got a kitchen sink in there too?" Kakashi enquired dryly as Sakura dumped a bag of potato chips on the bed.

"Hey, these are necessities!" Sakura defended herself. "Besides, Ino-pig has twice as much in _her _shuriken holster than me." She added, putting the locket, purse and handwash back into the holster and dumping the rest neatly in the wastepaper basket at the side of the bed.

"I don't doubt it." Genma muttered, remembering the superficial blonde kunoichi. "But what the hell could she have in her shuriken holster that you don't?" Sakura paused to think for a moment, before replying:

"She keeps a self-help manual and her entire make-up bag in hers." Genma snorted at this imagery, and even the battle-ready Kakashi smirked.

"They're beginning to move, slowly: they don't know we're ready for them." Kakashi said after a moment. "Take these jewels and mask your chakra until they come through the window." Sakura shook her head at this, and glanced to her feet, then the window, then Kakashi, who nodded imperceptibly. Genma was not expecting what came next. Sakura ran to the window just as the shinobi arrived near it, and jumped up, powering chakra into her left foot and smashing it straight through the window. Shards of glass shredded through one man's clothes and skin, knocking him to the ground many metres below, where he lay, bleeding and seemingly lifeless. The other men flung themselves towards the shinobi in the room, their clothing torn, superficial cuts on their faces and arms, splinters of glass in their hair.

"Watch out!" One called to his friend, just before Sakura punched him hard enough to knock him out of the window she had kicked a giant hole in. He managed to regain his balance, and using his chakra, jumped back up into the room. Kakashi made some shadow clones and sent two after a man throwing kunai at Sakura's head. Genma spat his senbon at the man's neck, but it went past him, piercing another shinobi, probably chunin rank, in the leg. The man swore, and Genma rushed over with another senbon, which he stabbed through the man's neck. He wasn't dead, just deeply unconscious. Genma gave him a quick kick in the ribs to make sure he wasn't going to be getting up and turned back to the remaining four men, all jonin, if their vests were anything to go by. He wondered which country they came from: he couldn't see their headbands in the dawning sunlight.

He saw Sakura swing her elbow into the chest of one. He stumbled, and quickly did the handsigns for a substitution jutsu. Sakura saw, and instead of wasting energy punching an inanimate object, she turned to look for him elsewhere. Kakashi was outsmarting two of the jonin with an almost lazy demeanour, but he still hadn't got the upper hand. The other shinobi was standing as Genma was, summing up the fight. His eyes locked with Genma's for a moment, and he smirked, before looking directly behind Genma, who turned instinctively, not worrying about being attacked by the grinning shinobi. He saw shadows, figures, running fast. About ten or eleven. This was _not_ good.

"No! More shinobi! Kakashi, Sakura, let's get out of here!" Kakashi grabbed Sakura's arm, and pulled her out of the window. Genma followed. They took the opposing shinobi by surprise, and managed to land on the grass below and get a very slight headstart, before their enemies leapt out after them. Sakura smashed her fist into the ground. None of the four shinobi following them were expecting the ground to buckle up and explode outwards, creating a huge crater. The three leaf-nin ran for their lives. They didn't really know the area, but Kakashi had a vague notion there was a town nearby.

Half an hour later, they crashed headfirst into the walled town of something-or-other. It was purely civilian, and the ninjas felt completely out-of-place. They would be recognized by their pursuers instantly, if only by their distinctive clothing, masks and hair colours, and not forgetting their chakra signatures, of course.

"Come on, let's try to blend in." Kakashi said.

"Um, Kakashi, is anyone awake here? It's like, six in the morning." Genma pointed out.

"Café, over there. That's open, and there's quite a few people in it. Mask your chakra and we'll stay there for a while." Kakashi led the group towards the tiny café, which appeared to be Ichiraku Ramen in tempura form: it _only _sold one item of food. It didn't help that Kakashi hated tempura, and it was disgustingly cooked anyway, but they all ordered some and tried to eat it. The waitress kept giving them suspicious glances, which they returned with annoyed glares. When they finished eating, Kakashi paid with Sakura's money. "What? I don't carry cash around!" He'd defended himself when Genma had commented sarcastically on his chivalrous behaviour.

They hurried from the café, checking for the shinobi pursuing them regularly. Finally, Kakashi said: "I'll go right, you two go left. We'll meet up at that church over there." He pointed to a church in the distance. "We'll be harder to track if we aren't together with all the jewels." Sakura and Genma nodded and ran off to the left.

The two ran for about fifteen minutes, at a relatively leisurely pace. Sakura was limping a little.

"Are you okay?" Genma asked her.

"Genma, I've just run full-speed away from enemies that I had to use my chakra against only a few hours after having sex for the first time. It's not going to be pain-free for me." Sakura told him. Genma tried to nod understandingly. They ran on for another minute or so, before Genma felt chakra. Sakura felt it at the same moment, and they both stiffened. Sakura closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them, six burly jonin were advancing on them menacingly.

"Shit."

**XOXOX**

_I shouldn't have left her with that numbskull. He won't be able to defend her properly. _Kakashi was trudging along the pathway to the church, having run all the way at full speed. _**Um, hello? This is Sakura you're thinking about! Don't you think she'll be able to look after herself, idiot? She'll probably be the one protecting Genma. **_Kakashi frowned at his Inner Kakashi's image in his brain. _Is that meant to make me feel better?__** No. But you know, instead of going on at me, maybe you should fight the enemy shinobi who are tailing you. Just a thought…**_

Kakashi's head snapped up, and he spun around. Sure enough, about six or seven of the shinobi who had joined the original assassins were just waiting for the perfect opportunity to attack him. He jumped to the side as a kunai whizzed past his ear, and turned to face his opponents.

"Shit."

**Sorry for the utter crap-ness of this chapter, but I wasn't really in the writing mood. Also, please do the poll on my page, I only have six voters so far. **


	13. Chapter 13

Too Close for Comfort

**Too Close for Comfort**

**A/N:**** Thanks to everyone who reviewed last time, please keep reading! I understand not everyone found the last chapter clear enough. It's now been modified for clarity purposes, so I'd recommend you re-read it. ****Note:**** 'Nani' means 'what', 'demo' is 'but' and 'ano' is 'um'.**

**Chapter Thirteen**

Genma stepped smartly in front of Sakura, who he knew had half of the stolen jewels hidden somewhere in her clothes, having seen Kakashi give them to her.

"Hand over the jewels and no one gets hurt." The burliest shinobi told them.

"What jewels?" Sakura replied innocently. "We don't know anything about any jewels. We're just shinobi visiting the Hoshi's." Genma tried to smile at the shinobi before him blandly.

"Don't hurt us. We don't know what you want, but we don't have it." He said as calmly as he could under the circumstances.

"How about your friend? You know, the Copy-nin Kakashi. Would he know what we want? Or maybe you would, Haruno-san?" The shortest of the attacking ninja asked, seeming to stare through Genma at the Hokage's apprentice behind him.

_Oh shit,_ Genma thought, a second before Sakura leapt over his head and slammed her foot into the ground between them. The earth seemed to erupt beneath them.

"Run!" Sakura yelled, shielding herself from flying rubble with her arm. Genma grabbed her wrist, turned around and took her advice.

**XOXOX**

Kakashi reached out to grab the kunai that had been thrown at him. He flung it back at the offending jonin, who only just dodged, evidently not having the Copy-nin's fast reflexes.

"Seriously, don't you have anything better to do than work for that witch employing you?" Kakashi asked, not waiting for an answer as he threw an accurate punch at one of the men, and ran for it, getting a momentary headstart as the broken-nosed man's companions stopped to see if he was alright. The only thing going around his head was Sakura. _**Come on, she'll be fine. **_Inner Kakashi kicked in. Kakashi almost stopped running in surprise. _Did you just try to sound comforting? __**I can be hateful if you'd prefer, old man. **__That's okay. __**Aw, I like being mean. Oh well. Besides, I'd best leave you alone so you can concentrate on running for your life, old man. **__Hey, less of the old! _Kakashi protested indignantly, but no response came. Inner Kakashi, true to his word, had shut up to let Kakashi concentrate on fleeing to where he assumed Sakura and Genma would be.

He ran until he reached the old church he, Genma and Sakura had said they'd meet up next to. Confident that he'd lost all his pursuers for the time being, he looked around for his friend and his lover. They were nowhere to be seen. Kakashi blinked. _Oh Kami, what's happened to them? They're later than me and I was attacked…_ He drifted off into gloomy thoughts, punctuated by the odd attempt to bring him back to reality by his inner self, which were in vain.

_**Um, hello? Dumbass? They're here!**_ Inner Kakashi yelled. Kakashi looked up sharply, to see Genma and Sakura running towards him. _Oh thank…_ Kakashi broke off in his profession of thanks to Kami at the looks on Genma and Sakura's faces.

"Run! Come on!" Genma yelled at him, seemingly unaffected by his speed. Kakashi fell into stride beside them.

"What's going on?" He asked.

"We…were attacked." Sakura managed. Like Genma, her breathing was not laboured, but she did appear to be limping a little. It didn't take Kakashi's genius mind to figure out why.

"So was I." Kakashi told them. "But I think I lost mine."

"We don't know about ours. After Sakura smashed half the town up, we ran and didn't stop." Genma said. Kakashi had to smirk slightly at that.

"I knew Sakura would be the one saving _your_ skin, Shiranui."

"Hey, I grabbed her wrist to make her run, didn't I?" Genma protested indignantly, looking to Sakura for support. Sakura nodded, a small smile on her lips. They ran on, not knowing where they were heading, and not really caring, as long as it was as far away from the enemy jonin and Lady Hoshi's household as possible.

After about an hour or so, Sakura slowed a little.

"Kakashi, do you recognise this place?" Confusion was etched on her pretty face. Kakashi glanced around the dense forest with its tall trees.

"Um…isn't this place like, only five miles from Konoha?" Genma asked, recognition suddenly flooding through him.

"Oh thank Kami! We're almost home!" Sakura sighed. "Come on, keep going, it'll only take about twenty minutes at full speed." Obediently, Kakashi and Genma continued on at full speed, Sakura's limp seemingly better now she was nearer home.

"Let us in!" Genma told the patrol-nin on the gates.

"Of course." The shinobi evidently recognised the plainly exhausted trio, who burst into a round of ecstatic laughter as they tumbled through the gates of their village.

**XOXOX**

"We're here to report to Tsunade-shishou." Sakura told Kotetsu in a beaten voice. Her jubilant mood had quickly worn off

"It's urgent." Kakashi added.

"I'll go tell her. Wait out here for a few minutes, you three." He wandered off towards the Hokage's office, and the three shinobi collapsed into the waiting area's plastic chairs. Sakura leant her head on Kakashi's shoulder, and Genma absently stared at a long scratch on his hand that he didn't remember getting. He guessed it was from when he'd grabbed Sakura to run. Sakura lifted her hand to examine her wrist, which was bruised from when Genma had pulled her out of harm's way. She couldn't feel anything except an overwhelming sense of incompletion. Sure, they had the stolen jewels, but they had not exactly disposed of all of their pursuers.

Kakashi was alert, but his body had practically shut down. He couldn't feel his limbs. Genma looked at the congealed blood over the cut on his hand. He couldn't remember feeling blood, or even sensing he had been scratched.

Sakura noticed the scratch and sat up to heal it, even though it was only minor. Genma guessed she wanted something to do. After all, she and Kakashi had something else to tell the Hokage.

**XOXOX**

"Nani? Why the hell are they back so soon? And what does Hatake think he's doing? I didn't send him on _their_ mission." Tsunade wondered aloud. Kotetsu stood besides her desk patiently, waiting for her to give him an order.

"Hm. Send them in, Kotetsu." Tsunade decided. Kotetsu nodded.

"Yes, Hokage-sama, right away." He exited, and Tsunade took a gulp of sake straight from the bottle. She had a strange feeling she'd be needing it.

**XOXOX**

"You can go in now." Kotetsu told the half-asleep trio of shinobi. Sakura leapt away from Kakashi's shoulder as though scalded. Kotetsu did not comment, merely wishing them a good day and walking away in the opposite direction. Sakura stood slowly, feeling dead on her feet.

"Come on then." She ordered Genma and Kakashi, who also stood. They walked in silence to the Hokage's office, and Sakura knocked apprehensively.

"Come in." Tsunade's voice cut through the air, and Sakura dreaded facing her Shishou even more than she had been doing already.

"Gomenasai, Shishou, we apologise for interrupting." Sakura said formally. Genma glanced sideways at her. _He knows why I'm nervous. __**Duh, slightly obvious, don't you think, Sakura? **__Shut up, I don't need you right now. Later. __**Indeed.**_ And with that ominous parting, Inner Sakura shut up.

"It's okay. Sit down, everyone." Tsunade motioned to the seats. They all obeyed, too tired to stand much longer. "Right. Have you completed the mission set?" She spoke to Genma and Sakura.

"We hit on some problems…" Genma said. Sakura snorted at the understatement. "…Demo, yeah." He looked to Sakura and Kakashi, who obliged by emptying their clothing of the stolen jewels they'd found in the Hoshi's residence.

"Quite unsurprising, we've had our eye on that woman for a while, but this is the first time anyone's got any evidence against her. She's quite the con-woman."

"And would-be assassin." Kakashi muttered sourly. Tsunade glanced up.

"Nani?" At this cue, the three launched into the basic tale of their woes, missing out the part about what had been happening directly before the attack, or exactly why Genma had been locked into the en suite bathroom.

"…And then we realised we were almost in Konoha. So we carried on and came straight to you, Tsunade-shishou." Sakura finished off. Tsunade raised a honey-blonde eyebrow.

"Now, I'm not going to ask why you decided to forgo your own mission in these two's cause, Hatake, although I am curious. I assume you have your reasons." Tsunade glanced to Kakashi, who nodded, but did not elaborate further. "Very well, you can go. I want a full mission report from each of you by this Saturday at the latest. Clear?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama." Genma nodded assent and exited. The last thing he heard was Sakura saying hesitantly:

"Ano…Shishou?"

**XOXOX**

"Hai, Sakura?" Tsunade asked, glancing between Kakashi and Sakura for a moment before suddenly cackling jubilantly. "Finally! I knew, I knew if I sent you on that mission, Kakashi! Oh Kami, I have to tell Jiraiya! I _won_ a bet!"

"You were _betting_ with _Jiraiya _that Sakura and I would get together?"

"Hai. He said seven months, I said four. Oh Kami, I can't wait to see his face when I tell him!"

"Ano, Hokage-sama?" Kakashi asked as Tsunade did a sort of war dance in her seat.

"Yes, Kakashi?" Tsunade asked distractedly.

"I think Jiraiya might have fixed this bet so you would win. He brought out a new _Icha Icha _book that's characters bore a resemblance to me and Sakura, and made sure I read it."

"Nani, you _finished_ that pervert's book? After I threw it out of the window?" Sakura asked, half-indignantly.

"Nani, that old pervert fixed the bet?" Tsunade sounded furious all of a sudden. Then she brightened. "Ha, but I still won! Sake time! You want some?" Tsunade offered the couple in front of her, who politely declined and left to go find Genma to tell him (and anyone else they met) the good news. Hatake Kakashi and Haruno Sakura had the Hokage's permission to be a couple.

**Two more chapters, including an epilogue to go now. In the mean time, please tell me what you think of this chapter. **


	14. Chapter 14

**Too Close For Comfort**

**A/N:**** No, I'm not dead…I just wanted to make this chapter as good as possible, seeing as TCFC is close to its end. T_T.**

**Hope you enjoy, and don't get bored of the next twist… Reviews would be great (hint hint). Oh, and the honorific –tan is basically a less-respectful version of the honorific –chan.**

**Chapter Fourteen**

"Oh. My. God. When?" Yamanaka Ino demanded. Sakura smiled slightly.

"Last night."

"You lucky bitch…what's he like?"

"Ino, I am not telling you anything, so shut up." Sakura ordered, leaning back against her pillow. "Can't I sleep? Please? I just got back from an S-rank mission that I'm being severely underpaid for, and I…"

"Yeah, yeah." Ino interrupted. "Look, you're not going to sleep yet, not until you tell me…oh, right…he's right next to you, listening to every word I say to you with his super-hearing, isn't he?"

"Yes." Kakashi said, putting his arm around Sakura's waist. "And if you wouldn't mind -" He trailed off suggestively. Sakura shook her head fondly, a pinkish tint colouring her cheeks. There was a muffled squeak from the gossip-hungry Yamanaka girl on the other end of the telephone.

"Of course. I'll leave you two to it. Sakura, I _will_ force a description out of you."

"Yeah, whatever." Sakura mumbled. "See you, Pig."

"Later, Forehead." The phone went dead. Sakura threw it to the other side of the room, where it hit the wall with a clatter. Kakashi did not doubt that it was well and truly broken, but at the moment, he couldn't care less.

"Thank God that mission's over." He said with a sigh.

"Thank God Genma's not in the bathroom this time." Sakura replied.

"…"

"Genma. Out. Now!"

**XOXOX**

"I-I am so happy for you S-sakura-san." The stuttering words of Hyuuga Hinata made Sakura smile.

"Thanks."

"Isn't it great?" Ino burst into the tea room, Tenten following her. "I told Tenten." The blonde gossip-monger added.

"It's really good news, Sakura." Tenten said sincerely.

"Oh, yeah, Kakashi just told me the news. Well done, Sakura, you picked a good one." Yuhi Kurenai remarked as she walked past, pausing as a certain purple-haired kunoichi bounded up to the group.

"Oh…my…God…Is Hatake anything like I said in the baths?"

"Um…it depends whether you were complimentary or not." Sakura said, resigning herself to being talked to by almost the entire kunoichi population of Konoha for the rest of the morning. Mitarashi Anko proceeded to relate precisely what she had told the other women at the hot springs. "…Seventy-two hours…with a shadow clone?" Sakura queried faintly, interrupting the other woman's spiel.

"Oh, come on, it sounds more fun that way." Anko said.

"Whatever you say, Anko." Kurenai grinned. At that moment, Gai walked over.

"Ah, Sakura-chan! Kakashi just told me you've both discovered the lotus of love and trust…"

"Yes, they had sex." Ino put it slightly more bluntly than the spandex-clad man.

"Kakashi didn't _tell _you that, did he?" Sakura asked in alarm, and breathed a sigh of relief as Gai shook his head.

"But I have ways of knowing, Sakura-chan."

"Hey, Sakura-tan!" A rambunctious voice called out.

"Show a little respect, Konohamaru…the poor woman is much older than you." Sakura recognised the voices of Naruto's little protégé and his personal sensei. She grinned slightly as Konohamaru sighed at his old-fashioned sensei, and called out again.

"Hey, Sakura-san!"

"Don't worry, Sakura-tan's fine with me." Sakura said as she turned to face the teenager. "Hey, Ebisu-san." Ebisu nodded in acknowledgement of her greeting, before frowning down at Konohamaru.

"You should be studying for your exams, young man."

"But I wanted to find out if Sakura-tan really is going out with Kakashi-sensei." Konohamaru protested.

"Yes, I am. Now go study for your test, you don't want to fail, do you?" Sakura asked the boy, who shook his head.

"Okay, Sakura-tan. Well, it was kind of Ebisu-sensei's idea to find out -" Konohamaru was promptly dragged of by a red-faced Ebisu. "Bye, Sakura-tan!" Konohamaru yelled. "I'll tell Moegi too!"

Sakura waved after the late Sandaime's grandson fondly, before looking back to the cluster of ninjas around her, which had now swollen to include Kotetsu and Izumo.

"Hi Sakura-san, the Hokage just told us." They said in unison. Sakura smiled. _Great…how many more?_

"Oh, Sakura-san. Just the person. Is what Lee told me true? Are you going out with Kakashi-san?" Hyuuga Neji asked curiously, Rock Lee in tow.

"Yes, Neji-san." Sakura answered with gritted teeth.

"It's awesome! Almost as awesome as…well, it's as awesome as anything awesome I can think of that's awesome!" Lee burbled excitedly.

"Isn't it just?" Sakura whispered in a low, dangerous voice.

"Okay, guys, time for Kakashi's new love-interest to go home!" Said a relieving, familiar voice. Sakura spun around faster than she would have believed possible.

"Genma!" She broke out of the crowd as politely as she could and rushed over. "Thank Kami you're here to save me." She hissed to him, before calling out to her friends cheerfully: "See you all later, guys!"

"Where d'you want to go?" Genma asked.

"Anywhere where I won't be interrogated." Sakura pleaded.

"Kakashi's in Ichiraku."

"Teuchi and Ayame…" Sakura began to protest, but Genma propelled her in the general direction of the ramen bar.

"Two more compared to the rest of the Konoha shinobi isn't such a big price to pay." Genma pointed out. Sakura sighed.

"I guess, but Kami, it's so tiring, saying the same things over and over again…" Sakura finished her tirade the second she saw Kakashi, her emerald eyes lighting up childishly with innocent happiness. She rushed over to her lover and threw her arms around his neck. "You wouldn't _believe_ the morning I've had." Kakashi pulled her into a kiss, whilst Genma pretended to throw up in a teasing way. Sakura threw him a mock-glare when she came up for air.

"I'll just pop to the bathroom while you order." Sakura told the two shinobi, and wandered off. "I won't be five minutes!"

**XOXOX**

"Where is she?" Kakashi asked restlessly. It was fifteen minutes after Sakura had disappeared off.

"Maybe she got ambushed by another rabid gossip-monger." Genma shrugged. "Give her ten more minutes, yeah?"

"Mm." Kakashi nodded, still tense.

"You ordering? Ayame's staring over here." Genma pointed out the waitress. Kakashi sighed.

"Not yet. Wait until Sakura's back."

When another ten minutes passed with no sign of Sakura coming back, Kakashi stood up abruptly. "I have a bad feeling." He said simply, and hurried off towards the toilets. Genma followed him without a word. It _was _a little odd that Sakura hadn't reappeared.

"I don't feel her chakra anywhere near here." Kakashi stated quietly. Genma nodded. "Where's she gone?" Kakashi asked, although he had a hunch forming in his mind. He sighed. "Get Naruto and Sai and come to the Hokage tower. Where are they today, anyway? Why aren't they following Sakura around and trying to murder me for going out with Sakura?"

"Don't know." Genma shrugged, running off to wherever Naruto and Sai were most likely to be. Kakashi sighed morosely, hoping his hunch was very wrong, and making some hand signs that would transport him to the Hokage tower.

**XOXOX**

"ARGH…I mean, hello, Kakashi…" Tsunade tried to laugh weakly at the Copy-nin, whilst at the same time covering her blushes with her hands. Jiraiya leapt away from the desk as though scalded.

"When you two stop making-out for five seconds, can you tell me? Is Sakura here?" _My only hope that my hunch is incorrect._

"No, Kakashi."

"Oh my God! I was right! The Hoshi's have kidnapped her. They must have. She's gone. One minute she was in Ichiraku Ramen with me and Genma, the next, she went to the bathroom and didn't come back! This was half an hour ago, and I've sent Genma to get Sai and Naruto." Kakashi gabbled. Tsunade looked at him, trying to process what the Hatake genius had just told her.

"The Hoshi's have kidnapped her? Okay."

That instant, the door burst open and Naruto and Sai ran in, Genma following.

"Tsunade-baachan? Sakura's gone missing?" Naruto burst out.

"Nothing's for certain…" Tsunade began, but Kakashi cut her off.

"No, I'm certain. Something's not right, and the Hoshi family certainly have a motive. They'll probably negotiate Sakura for the jewels back." Kakashi burst out.

"Hokage-sama, maybe it would be worth making sure? We should probably eliminate the Hoshi couple too, they know too much, and they did employ ninjas to kill us. It seems fitting that they would kidnap her to get the jewels back." Genma said, the urgency clear in his voice. Tsunade frowned.

"You can go, but it isn't an official mission. You won't get paid for it."

All the shinobi present looked at the Hokage in horror.

"We don't want to be paid!" Naruto exclaimed.

"It's Sakura; we'd do anything for her!" Genma added, gaining odd looks from Naruto and Sai, who hadn't been filled in on all the details of the mission Kakashi, Genma and the missing kunoichi had just returned from, and so didn't know the extent of the newly-formed friendship between Genma and Sakura.

"Well, alright then." The Godaime conceded, looking between the shinobi in front of her and Jiraiya. "Go on, go get her back. And if anything bad happens to her, I swear I will _personally _murder that goddamn Hoshi woman. With my bare hands. And then I'll come for you lot. Clear?"

"Crystal." The group of shinobi nodded and ran from the Hokage tower.

"Lead the way, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto yelled, wanting to get Sakura back as quickly as possible. "And maybe Genma should fill me and Sai in about this mission you've just got back from." His azure eyes narrowed slightly. Genma sighed.

"Where to start?"

Naruto's eyes narrowed into slits.

"No, really. I have no idea what to tell you. How about I tell you about what happened just after this ballroom dance? You see, I was in the bathroom…"

"Genma." Kakashi said, through gritted teeth.

"Aw, come on…"

"Genma."

"Jeez, get that giant stick out of your a…"

Genma only just dodged the kunai aimed at his jugular.


	15. Chapter 15

**Too Close for Comfort**

**A/N:**** Thanks to everyone who's reviewed, please R&R again. Sorry I didn't do much of a battle scene.**

**Chapter Fifteen**

"Are we there yet?" A fantastically annoying voice asked, for the seventh time that half-hour.

"No." Came Kakashi's curt reply. There was a pause for two minutes, and everyone rejoiced silently. Then…

"Are we there yet?"

"Naruto, if we were there don't you think you'd know by now?" Kakashi snapped, his visible eye flashing with anxiety for Sakura and annoyance at the blond jinchuuriki. "Calm down, okay?" Kakashi voice softened slightly. "We still have fifteen minutes to go."

Naruto managed to keep quiet, under surveillance from Genma and Sai, the ink artist all too willing to beat Naruto into silence if the need arose. Unfortunately for Sai, Naruto kept his, albeit very large, mouth closed until they reached the Hoshi mansion's outskirts.

"Okay, everyone mask your chakra before someone notices us. We'll get in through the window to the suite Sakura, Genma and I inhabited," Kakashi pointed to a familiar window. "Then we'll all go down to the drawing room. Naruto and Sai, you can murder the Hoshi woman and her husband, if he puts up any resistance. Genma and I will go look for Sakura and the other ninja. Once Naruto and Sai are finished, they can come and assist us." Kakashi's voice was deceptively calm and professional, but all the men present were aware that he was feeling anything but.

"Right." Genma was the one who thought to answer. The others nodded assent.

"Okay, let's go." Kakashi sighed, and the men slipped out over the lawns of the great house silently, to the side of the house with the window Kakashi had pointed out high above them. Three of the men climbed up with ease.

"Oh, come on, Dickless." Sai reprimanded Naruto, who finally managed to contain his anger at Sakura's predicament and control his flaring chakra enough to climb the wall into the smashed window. Smashed by Sakura's foot. _Sakura…_

"Let's get going." Kakashi hissed, voice lowered now they were actually in the palatial house. The shinobi hurried off down the corridor. Genma prayed they wouldn't get lost as they had many times in their short period of time as welcome guests in the Hoshi household.

"Kakashi…" He said after a few moments. Kakashi turned from leading the group.

"Hmm?" He asked absently. Genma took a deep breath.

"I don't want you to think I'm insulting your amazing skills as the Copy-nin or whatever, but do you actually have any idea which way the drawing room is?" There was a long pause. Kakashi's eye widened as Genma's question sunk into his genius brain.

"Uh…well…"

"So we're all lost?" Naruto asked.

"No, we know where we are, we just have no idea where we need to go. There is a difference." Genma told the blond ignoramus, who looked extremely confused by this.

"Whuh?"

"Never mind. Let's keep going." Kakashi said in a fakely cheerful voice. Everyone sighed. No one wanted to upset Kakashi further, even if all Naruto wanted to do was transform into the kyuubi and murder the bitch who had stolen their Sakura-chan. They continued, not speaking anymore, all of them anxious about their surroundings.

**XOXOX**

It was some twenty minutes later that they managed to navigate the winding corridors of the mansion, and ended up a few feet away from the drawing room.

"Okay, Naruto and Sai go kill the Hoshi monster, Kakashi and I'll go find Sakura." Genma whispered to the group. Naruto and Sai closed in on the drawing room, and Genma half-dragged a gormless-looking Kakashi off to the left. "Come on man, focus!" Genma said impatiently as they hurried down yet another beige-walled corridor and stopped just before they crashed noisily down a steep flight of stairs they'd never noticed before.

"I can feel her chakra." Kakashi whispered faintly, his visible sliver of face deathly pale.

"That's good, right. Okay, it's quite spiky. She's angry, by the feel of it."

"I'd be surprised if she was accepting the situation with open arms." Kakashi retorted. Genma sighed. _Be okay, Sakura-chan. Please, be okay._

"Let's go then." He said, not voicing his concern. _Besides, surely it's better that she's angry than devoid of all hope and in too much pain to feel anger? _Genma reasoned with himself.

The two elites slipped down the stairs and towards the door. They could hear banging noises and crashes, along with almost indistinguishable words and groans of pain. Kakashi leapt forwards and knocked the door down with his bare hands, evidently taking a leaf out of his girlfriend's book. Genma rushed in after him…and stopped short.

Sakura was in the middle of a group of shinobi, punching the living daylights out of two very persistent survivors. The others lay, unconscious and/or dying on the stone floor, covered in large bruises and even dents. One looked very dead already. No blood was spilled on the floor, except for a small cut on Sakura's arm, probably caused by the kunai one of the shinobi was wielding in vain.

With Kakashi's well aimed punch to the back of one of the shinobi's head, and Genma well-placed senbon to the other one's heart, the remaining jonin were soon sorted out. Sakura gave a small gasp and fell forwards. Kakashi rushed to catch her, and looked around in amazement. Where did the Hoshi woman employing all these shinobi from? There were about a dozen, none of which he recognised from the chase.

Hopefully, with no Lady Hoshi to control them, any other rogue ninja still alive would give up hunting for the Konoha ninjas. Kakashi picked Sakura up bridal style, reminiscent of the ballroom dance mock-fainting episode, which, although only a couple of days ago, seemed like weeks, months even.

"What did they do?" Kakashi asked Sakura in a rough, upset voice. Genma peered at Sakura. She looked a little worse for wear, but not badly injured.

"They just slapped some bad-quality chakra-restraining bracelets on and dragged me here." Sakura explained in a tired voice. "But of course, I can just about override any form of chakra bracelets by forcing my small amount of remaining chakra into the bracelets and breaking them. So I broke them and fought the shinobi." She said it as though it were obvious. "But I used up a lot of my chakra." She added, and Kakashi nodded.

"You wouldn't believe how worried I was." He sighed, his relief to have her back evident. Sakura put her arms around her neck. Genma felt a little like a wallflower.

"Naruto and Sai are here too." He added, and Sakura gasped.

"Where?"

"Upstairs assassinating the Hoshi monster." Kakashi answered. Sakura gave a weak laugh at the nickname for the conniving woman.

"They should have finished by now, shouldn't they?" She asked. "You must have got here some time ago. I know how confusing this place is to get around." They all set off in search of the ink artist and the blond jinchuuriki who had come along.

**XOXOX**

"Sakura-chan! I haven't seen you for ages!" Naruto yelled in joy, running over to the kunoichi still in Kakashi's arms.

"Good to see you too, Naruto-kun." Sakura smiled at her irrepressible sort-of sibling. She yawned. "And you, Sai."

"Hey Ug- I mean…Princess?" Sai said warily, unusually perceptive, noting Kakashi's glare and taking heed of its not-so-subtle warning. Sakura laughed.

"There's a nickname I don't mind."

"Come on, Sakura-chan, we should go home before anyone comes sniffing around." Naruto screeched. Sakura was not the only one to wince at the sound.

"Let's go home then." Genma conceded.

They left the building swiftly, to the sound of an over-excited dobe yelling: "We rule! Dattebayo!"

**XOXOX**

"Oh yeah…" Naruto said, cerulean eyes narrowing slightly. The group were in sight of the gates of their home village. "You never mentioned you and Kakashi were together, Sakura-chan."

"We weren't until two days ago." Sakura said. Naruto looked confused. "Naruto, what's wrong, baka?"

"What exactly _happened_?" The dumb blond asked. There was collective panic.

"I'm not explaining. I explained PMS." Kakashi hissed. The group began arguing good-naturedly about who was going to enlighten poor Naruto, who seemed oblivious as to what they were talking about.

"Oh yeah…isn't PMS what makes Sakura so moody sometimes, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked after a few minutes. There was a pause. Sakura smacked Kakashi around the back of the head.

**XOXOX**

**Okay, sorry it's too short, but I promise the epilogue's going to be longer. (The epilogue picks up four years after TCFC – Sakura is twenty-three, Kakashi thirty-seven.)**


	16. SIX YEARS ON: the epilogue

**Too Close for Comfort**

**A/N:**** The full author's note is at the end. Sakura is twenty-five and Kakashi is thirty-nine. Okay, Neji takes Sakura to Genma's because Genma's is much closer than the hospital is, and it is pouring with rain at the time.**

**Kakashi or any of the others cannot transport them to the hospital because they have no transportation scrolls lying around, having just popped round to Genma's for a social visit. Any other minor discrepancies in their behaviour can be attributed to panic in the situation.**

**Disclaimer:**** I own nothing or nobody but Tasè.**

**Epilogue – Six years on**

"Hey Genma!" Shiranui Genma turned around when he heard his name called by a familiar voice.

"Sakura! How are you?"

"I'm just great thanks." Hatake Sakura answered. Indeed, she looked extremely happy. Genma scrutinised her face for a moment. He couldn't quite place that expression, although something told him she'd worn it before.

"Are you sure you're okay? You look…happy."

"What, are you saying I'm usually a miserable bitch?"

"Something like that." Genma teased, laughing.

"Come on in. You've got a minute, haven't you?" She asked, like a rambunctious puppy, complete with appealing green eyes. Genma sighed and pretended to consider her offer.

"Fine, a minute. But I've got to get to the hospital for three; Shizune and I are going out." Genma said. There was a small laugh behind him. He turned to see Shizune, brushing her hair out of her eyes and grinning.

"That won't be necessary, sweetie." She told the suddenly confused shinobi. "Tsunade gave me an hour extra, on account of her being here too. Now," She said, turning to Sakura, "Let's get this party started, huh?"

"Shannaro!" Sakura hadn't said that since she was a little girl, and Genma became even more bewildered at the unusual cheerfulness in her voice. She was always happy-go-lucky, but this went deeper, somehow. Genma decided to stop pondering and follow the two females indoors.

He blinked as he entered the friendly, tiny living room he'd come to know so well over the last few years. Naruto was sitting in the centre of the room. Kiba stood next to him, twisting Akamaru's fur into braids nervously. Uchiha Sasuke, back from Sound two years after Sakura, Genma and Kakashi's mission, was currently standing awkwardly, hand resting on the sitting Hyuuga Hanabi's shoulder in a rare gesture of affection. Choji and Temari sat on the floor. Choji was eating potato chips. Shikamaru leant against the back wall, Ino hissing something to her team mate. Hinata sat on Gaara's lap for lack of space in the miniscule sitting room. The shy little heiress looked mortified.

Tsunade was talking to someone in the kitchen. Shizune went over to stand next to Kurenai, dragging Genma along with her. Genma shot a mock-exasperated look at Sakura, who grinned back.

The person in the kitchen turned out to be Kakashi, who asked Shizune:

"Has Sai turned up yet? He promised he'd be straight here, but he had a mission."

"Well, I don't think he's here just yet." Shizune told the Copy-nin.

"Get the champagne out here anyway!" Tsunade hissed. Shizune tried to frown disapprovingly at the Godaime, but was too caught up in the infectiously happy mood circulating the room to be properly annoyed. Kakashi complied after a few moments, and emerged from the kitchen with a tray of champagne glasses, and another glass which looked a little too transparent to be champagne, Genma thought. He dismissed the thought. The heat in the room was obviously getting to him.

"What exactly are we all here for?" Genma asked. Kakashi smiled, and Genma noticed the look on his face was surprisingly similar to Sakura's.

"Wait for Sai and you'll see." Tsunade was also grinning. Genma realised she, as Sakura's former mentor/mother figure, already knew whatever Sakura and Kakashi were about to announce. Were they leaving? Was Sakura going to join ANBU? Genma tried to guess the reason for the gathering.

The window next to Genma's head creaked open.

"What – Sai?" Genma asked in surprise.

"SAI! You made it after all!" Sakura was suddenly next to Genma, dragging Sai through the window.

"Yeah, Princess." The nickname Sai had used under Kakashi's heated glare six years ago had stuck. "Now let me go so I can breathe." Sakura released her pale-skinned team mate and turned to the crowd, who all now held champagne glasses. Genma took his own from Kakashi's tray, and turned to look at Sakura, who clutched her own glass.

"Well, we've got something to tell you all…" Sakura began, and looked to Kakashi for support.

"Yeah…" Was the most intelligible thing the esteemed Copy-nin could think of.

"I'm pregnant!"

The roars of sudden congratulation were deafening. Headbands were thrown into the air in celebration of the news, and even Sasuke looked happy for the couple. Everyone downed the champagne, and Sakura downed her lemonade. _Ah right. That's why the champagne in that glass looked lighter. And that expression? Remember the wedding?_

**XOXOX**

"Don't be s-silly, Sakura-sama, you m-must let me help you. And Gaara-kun." Sabaku no Hinata rarely sounded insistent, and so Sakura gave in to the heiress' offer of help clearing up the aftermath of the party. Gaara did not look too thrilled, but acquiesced without complaint. Genma sighed as Sakura thrust a pair of pink marigold gloves at him. His offer to stay and help clear up with Shizune, Naruto and Inuzuka Hana had not been opposed in the slightest, much to his disappointment.

"Genma, kitchen." Sakura said, pointing to the kitchen. Genma headed off miserably. "Ah, Hinata, you and Kazekage-sama wouldn't mind just picking up these party decorations and balloons, would you?"

"Of course not, Sakura-san." Gaara spoke. "And feel free to call me Gaara. We've known each other too long."

"Whatever you say, Gaara-san. Please excuse me; I'll have to tidy the kitchen with Genma-kun and…NARUTO YOU BAKA! STOP THAT NOW! YOU'RE NOT MEANT TO BE STRESSING ME OUT!" Sakura galloped off, leaving Hinata to wonder what she'd ever seen in Naruto – he was a lovely friend, but hardly dating material. She wished silent luck to Inuzuka Hana, and smiled fondly at her husband.

Sakura grabbed Naruto and hauled him in from the window ledge, where he had been hanging, cleaning the outside of the window. Sakura hauled him back in and cuffed him round the head.

"Genma-kun, you wouldn't happen to be trying to get away, would you?" Sakura's hand shot across the doorway as she turned from Naruto, blocking Genma's 'subtle' attempt at ditching his cleaning duties.

"Uh…no…"

"You'd better not be, Shiranui." Shizune barked as she walked in, before turning to Sakura. "It's nine, don't forget your shift."

"Thanks, Shizune. You can take this slacker home with you if you want." Sakura waved a hand at Genma, who pretended to look wounded by this remark.

"Come on, Gen-kun."

"Bye Shizune! Bye Genma-kun." Sakura turned back to the kitchen as Genma and Shizune left, calling their goodbyes. Naruto was balancing on the ceiling with Sakura's champagne glasses.

"NARUTO!!!!!!!!!!!!" Screaming echoed around the house as Hatake Sakura noticed the immature blond. There was a pause, and the sound of expensive glass splintering. There was another pause, this time deadly.

"…Oops?"

**XOXOX**

"Hey, Sakura, I'm here on Genma's orders to drag you home as soon as possible."

"Oh, hi Kakashi, koi. What? I've only been working for seven hours!" Sakura protested, stacking piles of drugs into a cupboard.

"Exactly." Kakashi muttered under his breath, but was sensible enough not to speak aloud. Even eight months pregnant, Sakura could still pack a good punch, as she demonstrated often, usually with Naruto. "So, are you coming?" He asked. Sakura nodded, and placed another packet of drugs in its correct place.

"Yeah, of course. You can get back and I'll be along in a few minutes. I'll just finish up here and say bye to Tsunade-shishou." She said. Kakashi nodded.

"Okay, Saku-tan. Come to Genma's, yeah? He wants some company – Shizune's gone shopping. Naruto and Sasuke will be there too."

"Okay, Kashi-kun, see you in a bit." Sakura waved to Kakashi as he disappeared in a whirl of lilac-grey smoke, and turned to lock the drugs cupboard. She hurried down the corridor to Tsunade's office, and knocked on the door. "Shishou?" She opened the door to reveal an exhausted-looking Tsunade slumped over a stack of paperwork about a foot high. "Shishou, you look beat. You should go home soon. Anyway, if it's okay, I'll be off now. Genma and Kakashi want me back!" She gave a light laugh. Tsunade looked up.

"Okay, Sakura-chan, you go home and have a good time. I might take your advice. I _am_ tired. I'll be glad when Shizune's back."

"Do you want me to stay?" Sakura asked in concern. Tsunade shook her head.

"No, no, you go home and rest: don't worry about me. I'll be fine. Ino's around somewhere, I think…" The Hokage's voice trailed off and Sakura left, closing the door softly behind her sleeping Shishou.

As she walked down the stairs to the ground floor of the hospital, Sakura felt a pain in her stomach. "Oh, stop it." She told her unborn baby wearily. She seemed to be experiencing false contractions. It was unusual, she supposed, in the last month of pregnancy. She shook her head. She _was _unusual. She found herself hoping for the millionth time that if her child was a boy it would not have pink hair.

Five minutes later, after numerous farewells to various on-duty nurses, Sakura felt another false contraction. It was stronger than the last few. She frowned, and made her way across the courtyard. Genma's apartment was only ten minutes away. She'd collect Kakashi and go home to sleep it off.

Another five minutes into the walk to Genma's, the sky, which had been dark all day, suddenly clouded over and rain began to pour down. Sakura gave a small huff of annoyance, and began to walk a little faster. After a few steps, she stopped as another contraction shot through her womb. She felt an odd sensation, and then…

"No! Oh Kami, this _had_ to happen to me! Dammit!" Sakura screeched.

"Hey, Sakura-san, are you okay?" She heard someone hurry over to her through the rain.

"Neji-san? Neji-san, my waters just broke." Sakura told the long-haired man. His jaw dropped.

"What – what should I do?" He asked.

"Please, just get me to Shiranui Genma's apartment." She gasped. Neji paused a moment, before grabbing her and striding off in the direction of Genma's house with purposeful steps, carrying the mother-to-be bridal-style. "W-what are you doing out here, Neji-san?"

"I was out training. I didn't have a transportation scroll on me so I was walking home." He answered, seemingly glad they weren't talking about the impending crisis at that moment. Sakura looked out over the road and saw Genma's apartment block looming in the distance. She took a deep breath. _You'll be fine, little one_,she vowed to her baby.

Neji banged on the communal front door of the block, and when no one answered, he tried all the intercom buttons. None worked. Sakura sighed heavily, and he made up his mind. He would handle any repercussions when – if – they came. He grabbed a rock and threw it at the pane of glass above the door handle. The glass shattered into pieces on the carpet the other side of the door. Neji reached in and let them Sakura and himself in, both soaking wet and in slight pain from the onset of labour and cuts from shards of glass respectively.

"Which apartment is Shiranui-san's?" Neji asked Sakura, who pointed up the stairs.

"First one on the left. Number nine." She said, closing her eyes for a moment at the sudden pain. Neji looked around for an elevator. Not surprisingly, there wasn't one. He rushed to the stairs and hurried up them, crinkling his nose slightly at the wallpaper hanging off the walls and the dirty beige rug on the first floor hallway.

He walked up to Genma's apartment door and knocked. "Shiranui-san?" He enquired in clipped tones. Sakura huffed.

"They won't hear that." She took a deep breath and yelled: "GENMA, KAKASHI, GET YOUR ASSES HERE RIGHT NOW AND OPEN THE GODDAMN DOOR OR I'LL BE HAVING THE BABY IN THE CORRIDOR OF THIS FILTHY PLACE!"

The door flew open to reveal an ashen-faced Kakashi, Genma right behind him, equally pale. A moment later, two other shinobi raced to the door. Sakura groaned.

"Are you really having the baby?" Genma and Kakashi asked in unison. Sakura nodded.

"Oh Kami, what are we going to do, what are we going to do?" Genma sounded horrified. Uchiha Sasuke, standing next to Uzumaki Naruto, rolled his eyes.

"Well let them get in for a start."

Genma looked at Neji as if he hadn't noticed him before. "Oh, right…uh, come in, Hyuuga-san, Sakura." He stammered after a moment, and at a shove from Kakashi, moved away from the door to allow Neji to carry Sakura in. Neji set Sakura down, and all the men looked at her.

"Now, we'll…um, what should we do now?" Kakashi's attempt at professionalism was in vain.

"Genma, do you have a good drycleaners?" Sakura asked casually. Genma looked confused. "It would probably be best if I was in a bed." Sakura elaborated. Genma paled further. He was about to offer Sakura a spot of newspaper-covered laminate flooring, but rethought his decision at Kakashi's warning glare.

"O-of course, Sakura-chan." Genma said, resigned to his fate of soiled bedclothes and trips to the launderette for weeks to come.

"You should take the duvet off." Sakura suggested. Genma and Kakashi hurried to obey her, and she stood waiting, Sasuke and Naruto by her side. Before either boy realised what she was doing, her white polka-dotted panties were on the floor. Naruto leapt back in horror.

"W-what the hell?"

"Oh for Kami's sake Dobe, you can't expect her to give birth with her underwear on!" Sasuke snapped at the brainless blond. Neji stepped back to let Kakashi help Sakura to get into a comfortable (well, sort of) position on the bed. All the men looked panic-stricken when Sakura winced her way through another strong contraction.

"What do you need?" Genma asked. Sakura was tempted to retort: _Someone who knows what they're doing?_ But refrained, if only because Genma looked reasonably willing to help at that moment in time.

"Right…I'll need a few towels, a bowl, preferably one you don't use, because you won't want to after…well…and a penknife, I think." She reeled off. Genma nodded to Neji and they left to find the items Sakura requested.

"Sakura, I'm no expert or anything," Sasuke began after a pause, "But isn't there something called dilation that needs to be measured?"

Sakura looked suddenly horrified. "Oh my Kami above…um…"

"What about a ruler?" Naruto asked innocently, ducking just before a hardback romance novel of Shizune's flew past his head.

"Twenty-five, Naruto, not five." Sakura reminded him, before deciding: "I'll keep checking with chakra, seeing as we don't have any medical equipment whatsoever." Kakashi and Sasuke nodded, evidently pretending to understand the situation. At that moment, the door opened and Genma and Neji hurried in with the makeshift medical equipment Sakura had asked for. Sakura grimaced, fighting the pain, and pushed some probing chakra into her womb through her abdomen. "Right, I'm five centimetres dilated. I'm in active labour."

"Say that in a language we understand?" Naruto requested.

"I have Kami knows how many hours of excruciating labour, and five centimetres left." Sakura amended helpfully. Everyone tried not to look terrified by this prospect. "The good news is, if the storm stops while I'm still in labour, you can all get someone who knows what to do around here."

"And if it doesn't?" Neji enquired with some trepidation.

"Then you'll all become honorary midwifes. Isn't that wonderful?" Sakura replied sarcastically. "Now let's all pray the storm finishes in about three minutes time." There was silence as all the shinobi in the room took her advice for a few moments. Then, Genma spoke.

"Would it be worth trying to phone Ino or the hospital or something?"

"You could try, but I'd imagine the phone lines are down." Kakashi said morosely as Sakura clutched his hand fiercely in the wake of another contraction. Genma tried the phone anyway. Kakashi was right. Genma resigned himself to the fate of being lumbered with bloodstained bed sheets _and_ the post of midwife, and started to play yo-yo with the telephone, using its cord as the string.

Another fifteen minutes passed without too much event, merely a great deal of discomfort and spasms of incredibly intense pain for Sakura. "Are you alright?" Naruto asked for the fourth time that minute.

"_Yes_." Sakura replied through gritted teeth, for the fourth time that minute. Kakashi smoothed her damp hair back in what Sakura assumed was meant to be a comforting gesture. "Seven…centimetres." She added, hands glowing green. The men nodded. The feeling of despair intensified slightly.

Three quarters of an hour later, the despair was more like absolute hysteria. The storm showed no signs of stopping, and neither did Sakura and Kakashi's baby. "One centimetre to go…ah, Kami!" She clutched Kakashi's hand, trying not to scream out in pain. Kakashi felt his bones click, and also tried to refrain from showing his pain. Beads of sweat dotted Sakura's forehead and her breathing was heavy.

"Okay, um…Genma, when the baby comes, take this…" Sakura reached into her pocket and dragged out some dental tape. "…about five minutes after the birth, use this to clamp the umbilical cord, seeing as we don't have proper clamps, and someone can cut the cord with the penknife after the afterbirth."

"Um, you said…afterbirth?" Neji said warily. Sakura rolled her eyes, whether due to the stupidity of all the shinobi present or the pain of the imminent birth it was unclear.

"The placenta…the placenta is expelled from the uterus." She managed to explain.

"Oh." Neji looked as though he wished he hadn't asked. Sasuke looked as if he wished Neji hadn't asked. Sasuke looked ill, actually. Sakura did not have the time or breath to enquire after his health.

Trying to remember how to in- and exhale correctly while dealing with large amounts of pain with no drugs whatsoever was difficult enough, but explaining the entire process to numbskull shinobi at the same time was exhausting.

There were a few minutes of nervous anticipation for the men, Sakura grunting under her breath and breathing deeply in a sort of yoga-ish way.

"Okay, it's…time…everyone!" Sakura said in a pained voice after what seemed to the men like hours. Sakura clutched at Kakashi's hand.

"Um…push?" Genma said hesitantly, moving round. "Oh, I can see the head! And your hair colour really is natural after all!"

**XOXOX**

Hiding out from the raging storm in a small tea shop at the other end of Konoha, Shizune thought she heard a loud scream of anger. She shrugged, and turned to look out at the sheets of rain, taking a small sip of her drink as she did so.

**XOXOX**

When Shizune entered her and Genma's apartment about three quarters of an hour after 'hearing' the angry scream in the tea shop, she realised two things. First, there was water all over her living room floor. Second, there were quite a few voices coming from the bedroom.

"Genma-kun?" She asked, a little confused. She waded through to the bedroom, opening the door only a crack to get in, with some trepidation. She was greeted with an odd sight. "Uh, what are you all – SAKURA!" Shizune forsook staring longer at the scene of chaos in front of her in favour of hurrying over to Sakura and the small bundle in the slightly sweaty kunoichi's arm.

"Shh!" Several voices admonished.

"We've only just got her to sleep." Sakura explained, smiling down at her daughter.

"After her first feed." Sasuke said, in a sort of mentally scarred voice.

"Well, you could have gone into the living room!" Sakura retorted. Sasuke snorted.

"Sakura-chan, I understand that having just given birth at the time, you may not have grasped this, but Genma and Shizune-san's ceiling let a great deal of water into their living room, making it knee-deep and therefore impossible to stand in."

There was a moment in which Shizune tried to take everything in. She stared at the tiny baby.

"Her name's Tasè. Now will you please heal my arm, Shizune?" Kakashi asked. He was obviously in some pain.

"Oh, uh, sure. And we need to get you to the hospital soon Sakura-chan." Shizune walked around the bed to Kakashi, whose hand appeared to have been crushed by a steamroller. As she healed the broken bones seemingly caused by a labouring kunoichi famed for her brutal strength, she turned to work out where the mysterious retching noise she'd been hearing was coming from. She discovered it was Neji who was coughing and spluttering into a bowl.

"He could have left the room too!" Sakura said defensively as Shizune turned to look at her.

"I think it was the blood involved with the afterbirth." Kakashi said, sounding less injured now. He stepped away from Shizune as she finish and went to have a turn holding Tasè.

"Not…ack…natural…" Neji managed to say. Naruto patted him on the shoulder comfortingly. He too looked rather green. Shizune's gaze fell on Genma as she finished Kakashi's hand reparation.

"Please, Shizune, promise me you'll never do this to me." He joked weakly.

"I wasn't planning on it." Shizune muttered, watching as Naruto's legs suddenly gave way and he sat down on the floor next to Sasuke. Neji retched loudly into the bowl and Genma opened the bedroom door to survey the damage to his living room. As the door opened, Sasuke's eyes widened in horror, and Shizune tried to yell out. It was too late. A cascade of water flooded the small bedroom, knocking Genma off-balance a little. Genma slammed the door shut hastily as a massive crash reverberated through the house. Tasè began howling. Sakura comforted her baby girl, and craned her neck to check on everyone. They all _seemed_ okay. Then, Genma, with some hesitation, opened the door.

"ARGH!" Shizune forgot to try to be quiet in the presence of Tasè when faced with a massive hole in her ceiling and debris from the half-caved-in roof. Everyone stared out at the wrecked living room.

A moment later there was a splash. Everyone turned around.

"Kakashi, koi, we really _had_ best get to the hospital." Sakura commented to her husband, looking from the bed down at the limp form of Shizune. "Someone go tell Tsunade to get some smelling salts and a post-natal room ready?"

There was a flurry of activity as Naruto and Sasuke scrambled to their feet, accompanied by a still-queasy looking Hyuuga prodigy, and ran out of the room, slamming the door behind them.

"You know, Sakura," Genma said conversationally, "If you weren't a new mother and one of my closest friends, I might just murder you and your husband right now."

**XOXOX**

**And that concludes TCFC! I hope you all enjoyed it.**

**I referenced Wikipedia like crazy for this, so any mistakes are either my own or made by the ones who wrote the Wikipedia page. Feel free to correct any details. **

**Please make a special effort to review the epilogue, everyone! I love all your feedback.**


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